The Perennials II: Cypnov
by Ancalagar the Dragon Lord
Summary: Part II of "The Perennials" series. After the disaster at Torchwood, the Doctor takes Rose to the planet Cypnov at her own request in search of an unknown device the Helials left behind. There they get caught in a potentially deadly conflict between two warlords.
1. Chapter 1: Verkatan Dusk

Chapter 1

Verkatan Dusk

As night slowly settled upon Gavarik, one could see Verkata setting behind the distant mountain range, causing a spectacular red glow to emanate from the horizon. A gentle breeze streamed in through the open window, through which most of the city could be viewed: the spiral towers of the high class extending into the sky, and the smaller houses below of the lower classes. It was getting late, but one still could see the shadowy forms of Radalans gliding silently from house to house and tower to tower, and occasionally a halictid ornithopter roared past the buildings.

The only sound apart from the noise in the city outside was the gentle scratching of a pen on paper, sometimes accompanied by the harrumphs and grunts of the writer. Then Raquin Nahtavid put his pen down, and looked out the window, his demeanor quiet and troubled, knowing that something was happening within these very walls, knowing that someone was going to act soon, knowing that very soon there would be a power transition, but the question of who truly deserved that power was fresh in the minds of all who understood the full extent of the situation.

Raquin stood and slowly made his way to the window, surveying the streets and people all across Gavarik, and then turned his gaze past the buildings to the horizon; the palace at Gavarik oversaw the city, and beyond to the whole of Yaldego. It was a desert landscape, not at all the natural habitat of the Radalan race, but so beautiful and terrible a scene, one did not see often.

The Sunitoth Mountains extended in the distance like a row of spines which gradually faded from view. Somewhere along that mountain range, Raquin reflected, one of the few remnants of Taledrevan architecture remained standing, also overseeing the desert. Most such structures had been destroyed after Pratethon Velathin managed to reunify most of Cypnov four hundred years before, but even so, the mark of the Helials remained. Though they had left nearly six hundred years before, so much of Cypnov's glory had been torn down, that Raquin wondered if the civilization could ever recover. But, he supposed bitterly, that was probably precisely what the Helials wanted when they carved up Cypnov's borders.

"Raquin?" a soft voice called.

Raquin turned from the window to see his sister standing on the threshold, her expression as troubled as his. He gestured for her to enter, and she stepped inside and quietly closed the door.

"What is it, Temenir?" he asked somberly. "Has something happened?"

Temenir took a seat on a cushioned stool near the desk; she was scratching her ear nervously, but she looked at him and said, "I think the Premier Warlord is dying."

Raquin was silent for a moment. Then he queried, "How do you know?"

"Lady Aervynin has just sent for his lordship Deljath," she told him. "I don't know. All she told me was that it was serious, and that it concerned his father."

Raquin sat down again and stared off into space for a moment. As he considered this information, Temenir reached for the fruit bowl on his desk and picked up one of the Genthakl figs. Raquin took one too, and pulled a small knife from a drawer, which he used to slice it in half. As he ate the fig, he leaned back and glanced out the window again. Then he spoke up.

"Divathan has been dying for the past few months."

Temenir shook her head as she watched Raquin finish eating the fig. "I think it's genuine this time. It sounds as though he won't make it through the night."

Her brother picked up his pen and started tapping the desktop softly. He supposed that it was the inevitable occurrence. Lord Divathan was very old, nearly two hundred and ten, and three years before, he had fallen so severely ill that his son Deljath had to take over as regent. Since then, things had started to fall apart, especially after the exile of Divathan's second son. But if he died tonight, now, then the chaos would increase the moment Deljath Theletaos gained full power as the Premier.

"Has Deljath been informed?" Raquin asked quietly. Temenir shook her head.

"He's in a conference with Davinathe and a few other officers," she said. "I wasn't allowed near the room; but you'd be able to enter."

Raquin snorted. "Ferjhaal Davinathe," he said scathingly. "I'll bet he'll be ecstatic at the news." He leaned back in his chair with a resigned sigh, before he finally stood. "Oh, all right," he said. "I'll go and tell Deljath, but I want you to return to her ladyship. I'll need you to confirm Divathan's death to me, should it happen."

Temenir stood too, but she didn't move. "Will you be leaving tonight?"

Raquin thought for a moment. "If Divathan dies, I'll likely be required to attend his funeral, but I will be departing as soon as I can."

Temenir nodded, then left the room, her thick tail bobbing up and down behind her. Raquin watched her go as a feeling of apprehension came over him. There was no way to tell what would happen now, if Divathan Theletaos truly would be dead by sunrise. So much had changed in the past few years, that it was impossible to know what was coming.

Nevertheless, after another quick glance at the setting star, Raquin followed Temenir out of his office and made his way up the spiral hallway, up the stairs and past various rooms and antechambers, until he reached a door flanked by two guards in gold-colored kevlar armor, the uniform of the Yaldegan Imperial Army.

One of the guards lifted his hand to stop Raquin, but one look at his demeanor told the latter that they had recognized him.

"Only officers specifically requested by Lord Davinathe are allowed in," the guard informed him.

Raquin shrugged, unsurprised by this. "I'm merely here to give Lord Deljath a message from his wife. I believe it concerns the Premier Warlord."

Both guards scrutinized him for a moment. Then the first nodded, and opened the door.

"His Lordship, Raquin Nahtavid!" the guard announced as Raquin entered a small room which featured five officials seated at a long table, not including Ferjhaal Davinathe, the tall, muscular Radalan dressed in a fine, black tunic, and Deljath Theletaos, who by no means was as tall or as well-built as the former. All seven of them looked surprised by Raquin's entry, and Deljath stood with his large wings folded very tightly, clearly irritated.

"Your presence was not requested," he told Raquin, who nodded, trying to look apologetic.

"I beg your pardon, my lord, but Lady Aervynin has requested your presence," he informed Deljath. "I believe you are needed in your father's bedchamber."

The visible anger on Deljath's face was quickly replaced by a somber expression. Turning to the others, he said, "It's about time we wrapped up this discussion anyway. We'll resume this conference tomorrow."

Raquin noticed that Deljath had caught Davinathe's eye as he said this. As the other officials stood and started to clear their things off the table, Deljath straightened his red tunic and quitted the room hastily. As the others slowly filed out of the room, Raquin saw a piece of paper fall out of the fireplace, and lingering behind, he waited until the last of them left, before stooping down and picking up the green-tinted scrap of paper and scanning the words scribbled across it. He then frowned as he pocketed it before quitting the room himself.

As he left the room, he caught sight of Ferjhaal Davinathe standing in the hallway, watching him. Raquin's eyes met the minister's icy gray eyes, and he carefully assumed an emotionless manner.

"You took your time leaving," Davinathe commented.

"It's my leg," Raquin lied smoothly. "I had an accident several years ago, and I've had a twinge ever since. The climb up the stairs wasn't good for it, you see."

Davinathe scrutinized him, and Raquin blinked innocently. Radalans were not capable of telepathy, but Raquin had heard more than one guard comment that having a conversation with the Foreign Minister was like being X-rayed. Raquin certainly understood that statement.

But after a moment, Davinathe nodded to Raquin, bowed respectfully, and continued down the stairs. As soon as he was out of sight, Raquin returned to his office as quickly as possible, and upon his return, he closed the door, and then set the piece of paper on his desk before resuming his seat. He picked up the paper again and scrutinized it, feeling more uneasy than ever as he read the words over and over again.

_be named Etalih Innai: anti_

Someone cleared their throat, and Raquin looked up to see that Temenir had returned. He watched her expectantly, and she sighed and padded across the room until she was standing right in front of him.

"Only immediate family was allowed in Divathan's bedchamber," she told him, "but I think we can all guess what that entails."

"You are absolutely certain, then?" asked Raquin.

She nodded.

Raquin sighed. "Close the door, Temenir."

She nodded, and shut it quietly; as she did, Raquin stood and shut the window as well, before turning to look at her somberly. "I'll have to inform Sadarin as soon as possible."

Temenir took Raquin's seat, and placed her feet on the desk. "In all probability," she told him, "Sadarin will already know by tomorrow."

"Nonetheless, he'll want me to confirm it." Raquin looked down at the little piece of paper in his hands, before handing it to Temenir. "What do you make of this?"

"Etalih Innai?" she read out loud, frowning. "Is that somebody's name or something?"

"It's old Yaldegan," he informed her. "I believe it means 'divine wrath,' but that means just as much to me as the other language."

Temenir looked up and surveyed her brother with narrowed eyes. Glancing back down at the paper, she asked, "Where did you find this?"

"It was from Deljath's conference just now." Raquin took the paper from her, and hid it inside his tunic. "They threw the document in the fire, but that scrap survived. I think it was something they didn't want anybody outside the room to know about."

"And are you going to inform Sadarin about this too?"

Raquin shrugged. "I actually wanted your opinion on that."

Temenir leaned back, looking thoughtful. Then she scratched her head, and glanced upward. "Perhaps you should bring the name to his attention," she said, "but until you find out more about this, perhaps you shouldn't concern yourself too greatly."

She fell silent, and Raquin took a seat on a cushion by the window. In the minutes that followed, the only sound was the roar of another halictid outside. Then their thoughts were interrupted as the shouts of someone running up the stairs outside brought their attention to the door. Frowning, Raquin opened it just in time for them to hear a servant shout, "Lord Divathan died two minutes ago! Divathan Theletaos is dead! The Premier Warlord is dead!"

Raquin shut the door, and he and Temenir looked at each other worriedly.

"And so it begins," he murmured softly, and his sister nodded soberly.

********

**Hello to you all again! If you enjoyed "Eve of the Eternal," I hope you'll enjoy this story, "Cypnov." This world which I have just introduced has been floating around my imagination for some time, and I look forward to putting it down in writing. **

**I'm glad to be getting back to this, since in the next few weeks I'll have more spare time than I have in the past few. The next chapter is called "Into the Fog," and it will take us back into the Tardis, as well as continue following Raquin. **

**The history of this world is loosely based on the history of various countries on Earth (history is my specialty, after all). As you continue reading, I'll allow you to guess which countries, although you're free to guess now. **

**I've decided to start featuring quotes from the show. I'll let you guess which episode it's from, so I'll start with this one: **

"**My mother's cooking."**

"**Good! Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer."**


	2. Chapter 2: Into the Fog

Chapter 2:

Into the Fog

_Ship Log, Carthantinate Day 003 of the Existential Vessel Eternal: Conditions of the Abstract Realm unstable. As yet, we have not been able to locate the Eternal's sister ship Amaranth, and we have just received word that the Daleks hijacked the Halcyon before it could transverse realities. The reason has not yet been discerned, but let us hope that they will not learn to utilize or reconstruct the technology in the Halcyon. _

Rose Tyler opened her eyes to see her dark room, feeling a little befuddled, but she considered the words that had just flown through her memory, words unnaturally grafted there. She glanced to the side at her old alarm clock, which told her that by human standards, it was three o' clock in the morning. Before she had fallen into the Void, Rose would have been out like a light at this hour, but that was a long time ago, when she didn't dream of all the information implanted into her mind.

She stared at the dark, domed ceiling of her room, in deep thought. At least she _had_ slept this past night; in recent weeks, even that was an accomplishment. She could hardly go a single night without reliving those days on the Void Ship in her dreams. Every night, she could still here the _Eternal's_ computer's voice in her head, still muttering numbers, and she could see the library on Ethrae and the hallucinations within, or else she'd see the Void Ship and dream of people being reduced to ash simply because they were connected to her.

Reaching up, Rose rubbed her temple and cheek, as though the angry red marks from the cybernetic implants still bothered her, and she thought back to her most recent conversation with Jack Harkness. The Doctor had been present as well; it was the same day that the three of them had played pool in the library, shortly after Rose's surgery. Faced with the inevitable return of the Taledrevan Empire, the three of them had sat down on the sofas by the television to discuss what actions to take. As the Doctor had been quick to point out, the Helials were not the Daleks, and therefore were much more approachable.

"The only sure way of stopping the Daleks is eliminating them," Jack reflected after the Doctor spoke. "But the Helials sound different. It sounds as though they at least have a concept of ethics."

"What happened to their colonies?" asked the Doctor suddenly. "After they abandoned them?"

Rose thought for a minute, then shrugged. "My knowledge of Taledrevan history goes as far as their departure into the Void," she said. "I don't know what happened to the former empire, but I'll bet that such an impromptu departure left devastation in its wake. There are terrible consequences to simply tossing aside colonies, you know."

They had fallen into thoughtful silence after she said this, until Jack finally asked her, "What are you planning to do?"

Rose hadn't replied. In truth, she hadn't been sure at the time what she wanted to do, only that she needed to leave. Since then, she had spent most of her time considering much of what she'd learned about the Helials since she had fallen into the Void, but the trouble was, there was so much in her memory now, that made it difficult for her to sort through it all.

There was also the additional difficulty of the Doctor's concern for her. Rose had seen that he and Jack had obviously taken it upon themselves to watch her very closely, as though they were worried that she might fall apart at any second… and how she resented it. Though the Doctor knew that Rose planned to leave, that as soon as she was prepared she would step out of the Tardis, and she didn't expect to return for quite some time, he sometimes took the Tardis across the galaxies to continue his travels with Donna, probably in hopes that doing so would take Rose's mind off her problems. But all he did was increase her frustration.

The Doctor's worry, the nightmares, the newly-found knowledge of the universe, and the pure frustration at being unable to decide where she should start her coming task made Rose feel confined and uncomfortable in the Tardis. Then she would feel a wave of depression, because before the Battle of Canary Wharf, twenty-year-old Rose Tyler would not have harbored these thoughts in a thousand years. Ten thousand years, however, was plenty of time for such anger and restlessness to develop within her.

Since that conversation in the library, Rose had spent a lot of time in thought about the Taledrevan sector of space, quite distant from Mutter's Spiral, but close enough that the Helials had once put the Time Lords on their guard. The Taledrevan Empire was massive. From the Golden Orb, their name for their elliptical home galaxy, they had moved outward, and had successfully conquered planets in dozens of other galaxies. From what Rose could remember, one of the closer galaxies to Taledrev, what they had called the Kalyptan Gyre, was hit hardest by their imperialism, and contained the most colonies. The Golden Orb was ancient, and most of the civilizations there were aging, if they hadn't died already; but the Helials, as close to eternal as beings of the realm of time could become, remained to quickly saturate the galaxies with their civilization.

The nearby Kalyptan Gyre was a young spiral galaxy, full of budding civilizations, which would be easy to conquer, and perfect for a fresh supply of resources for Taledrev. The Helials had loved that region of space; it was always the most popular area to which the colonists migrated, especially after the original Taledrev collapsed into a planetary nebula. It was a bit anticlimactic, not the spectacle of a supernova or a black hole, but the death of Taledrev all the same.

The death of their home star, and their planet Carthantine with the star, in addition to perpetual regeneration pushed the Helials even further outwards, an imperialist impulse like nothing the universe had ever seen. They quickly found a new planet in a new star system, which they modified to resemble their old planet, and they named the star Taledrev after the old star, and the planet Carthantine like the old planet. From there they moved outward with an aggression. Looking back, it was unsurprising to Rose that the Helials disquieted even the Time Lords.

As she considered the Kalyptan Gyre, she suddenly remembered a previous dream she'd had several days ago, a memory from the _Eternal_, like the one she'd had tonight, taking place before the Helials abandoned it. It wasn't long after Rose fallen into the Void; at the time, her mind was completely blank, brain activity completely flat, but now with her repaired memory, she could recall that the Imperator had been furious about something unconnected with her, but which stood out to her.

"_They left it on Cypnov!" he had growled. "The fools simply left it there! Do you realize what could happen if the Daleks got hold of it?"_

"_We could go back and collect it," someone suggested. _

"_Not while the Skaro-Gallifrey war's raging, we can't," Drunnor retorted. "Plan on returning to Cypnov as soon as the Time War is over to recover it, but make no record of this. The Senate would be furious if…"_

But the dream had ended there. Rose suddenly felt calmer than she had a moment before, but this memory kept her from falling asleep again. Then the curiosity got the better of her, and she slid out of bed, exited the room, and made her way to the library. She could hear activity in the console room, and she supposed that the Doctor, as he usually did when his human companions turned in for the night hours, was messing around with the inner mechanisms of the Tardis. Smiling slightly, Rose turned a corner and entered the library, which lit up as soon as she entered.

The book she had been looking at the night before, the second volume of _Sentient Systems of the Taledrevan Sector, _was still on the coffee table by the armchairs, but Rose headed back to the bookshelf and selected the index. Thumbing through the pages rapidly, she finally located the planet in question and dog-eared the page. She then put the index back and pulled the fourth volume of the encyclopedia, before returning to the armchair.

_Sentient Systems of the Taledrevan Sector_ was a very thick compendium which contained the names, astronomical locations, and brief summaries of intelligent alien races, and a quick glance at the title page told Rose that this particular volume detailed the Kalyptan Gyre. Rose impatiently flipped through the pages until she finally found the entry she needed, and began to read:

_The planet Cypnov, second in the star system Verkata (located in the Kallarona arm of the galaxy)_ _is a very mineral-rich planet, and partly for that reason is it one of the Helials' most treasured colonies in the Kallarona sector. Almost since the colony was established, it has been one of the great industrial centers of the Kalyptan Gyre. _

_In terms of geography, Cypnov is a warm planet with varying climates, ranging from tropical to arid. It features three main continents: the smallest and most humid of these is North Dreithega. South Dreithega features two major climates, tropical and tundra. The supercontinent Maevraiga features the driest part of Cypnov, the Yaldegan desert, which is separated by the Sunitoth Mountains from the humid Moberian region, from which it is thought that the planet's indigenous sentient species, the Radalans, originated. _

_The Radalans have always struck other races with fascination for their vibrant culture and for their avian appearance. They are among the finest natural fliers in the galaxy, thanks to the powerful, feathered wings, which stretch out to a nine-foot wingspan at the most. Their culture and history is a long and proud one, featuring flourishing artistic and literary movements, and surprisingly sophisticated philosophies atypical of their stage of advancement. In terms of technological achievement, however, they were still in a primitive state prior to the Taledrevan conquest, limited to their star system. In spite of this disadvantage, the Radalans, being a very proud race, have a reputation for being one of the most difficult Taledrevan subjects to control. _

* * *

Misty rain descended upon a landscape of grassy hills, visible only through a thin screen of fog which hid the distant forest-city of Genicapharon; a dirt road led through the hills, and Raquin flew overhead, his eyes fixed on the brown, winding ribbon below him.

It was growing colder, he noticed as he wrapped his waterproof tunic more tightly around himself. _Capharon_… he thought to himself wearily. It was a beautiful country to look at, perhaps, but not the best place to live, and the cold was only one reason for that. The tyranny of the Sestati was another matter entirely.

The further he flew, the thicker he noticed the fog became, and before long, even the rolling hills faded from view; Raquin cursed at the delay, but with little choice in the matter, he began to descend, breathing in the water vapor as he did.

Before long, his feet touched the ground with a soft splat, and he ran down the road a few feet to lose momentum from the flight. Then he stopped, and looked ahead, squinting through the mist. He was now near the forest. The base was somewhere around here, not actually in Genicapharon, but elsewhere in the forest; but in this weather, it was very hard to tell precisely where he was.

"I knew I should have taken a Halictid from the city," he groaned.

He wandered off the road toward the forest, his eyes fixed on the trees that became more and more visible, shivering slightly as he went. He cursed again; there was a reason that people seldom went outside during storms, and that reason became clear as Raquin violently shook himself, so that the water soaking his feathers sprayed everywhere. In the air, it was simply foggy; on the ground, it was raining sheets, and at this rate it would take hours for him to dry.

The gigantic Genthakl trees were now mere feet in front of him, and Raquin paused and perked up his ears, listening carefully. There was not a sound on the air. In all probability, there was not a single animal that ventured outside in this cold weather, but then again, Capharon Separatist guards were trained to work in complete silence.

Raquin slowly walked through groves of smaller trees, sparing only passing glances to the big ones, not that it made a difference to look at them; the fog seemed to be as thick in the forest as it was outside. Then he thought he saw the outline of a crystallum growth just past the roots of one of the Genthakls, and as he approached the enormous crystals, he caught sight of another man sitting quietly on a log. The other was wearing the distinctive black synthetic armor of the Capharons, and Raquin slowly approached, his left hand raised in greeting.

The guard leapt to his feet and pointed a gun at Raquin, his expression one of great alarm. Raquin groaned inwardly as he raised both hands into the air; he had forgotten that he was dressed in Yaldegan uniform.

"I'm one of Sadarin's associates!" he called out. The guard snorted, and didn't lower his weapon.

"You look like a Yaldegan officer to me," he said, pointing at Raquin's gold synthetic breastplate and matching helmet.

"You idiot, how can you not recognize me?" the other snapped. "I'm Nahtavid, Raquin Nahtavid, the warlord of this region!"

The guard snorted again, his expression disbelieving.

Raquin sighed. "If you want proof, go find Delbadar Ervalon, or still better, Sadarin himself. They'll tell you who I am."

The guard didn't look convinced, but he lowered his gun.

"Come with me," he said irritably, "but I warn you: if Ervalon does not confirm your identity, you will be shot."

Raquin ground his teeth indignantly and exasperatedly, indignant because of the humiliation of this situation, and exasperated because he knew that even were he not a Capharon Separatist, standard protocols required that he be kept alive but confined until the Separatist leaders made a decision concerning him. But nonetheless, Raquin followed the guard past the crystallum and further down the forest path, not wanting to cause himself further trouble.

* * *

"Statement: You came here to sabotage Sadarin Theletaos's plan of operation. True or false?"

Raquin repressed a snort. He'd seen these proceedings before; he'd even written some of the questions, but never had he imagined that he, the warlord of Achtari, would have gone through them himself, with his hands bound behind his back, and his arms, wings and feet tied to a chair. He supposed that Sadarin must have recruited new unites, likely from outside of Achtari, while he was away, perhaps the reason that they hadn't recognized him.

"Answer true or false!" the second guard all but shouted. He was slightly taller and more muscular than the first Raquin had encountered, and he had leaned so close to Raquin that they were almost nose-to-nose.

"False," Raquin hissed angrily. "This is ridiculous."

None of the three guards looked moved. One of them made a move forward, and for a moment Raquin thought he was going to hit him, but the blow didn't come. The largest guard shot the attacker a dirty looked, and signaled for him to back down.

"Statement," he continued. "You are currently in the employ of the warlord Deljath Theletaos, and you have been sent here to spy upon his brother. True or false?"

"False." Raquin looked at the door behind the guards, but it was tightly shut. He turned back to the guard, who continued.

"Statement: You are currently in the employ of the Premier Warlord's chief advisor, Ferjhaal Davinathe, who has sent you to spy upon…"

"Stand down, Teladan!" a voice interrupted loudly. Raquin smirked as a woman, also in black armor but wearing a red tunic underneath, entered the room. She looked him over, her face one of great annoyance, before turning to the guards.

"It is Lord Nahtavid," she confirmed. "You may return to your posts."

The largest guard, Teladan, looked horrified. Turning to Raquin, he stammered, "I'm so sorry, my lord. I didn't think…"

"Continue with your services faithfully, and we'll not punish you," Delbadar cut across his apologies evenly, and effectively silencing Raquin's angry retort.

The guards quitted the room, all looking mortified. As Raquin watched them leave, Delbadar started to untie him.

"Did you enjoy that?" she asked, now sounding cheerful. "You wrote half of that procedure, but I wasn't aware that you being practiced on was part of the drill."

Raquin didn't laugh. "Don't tell Sadarin," he groaned. "This is embarrassing enough as it is."

She snorted as she moved onto the next knot. "The Warlord of Achtari, coming all the way over here to Capharon, still dressed in Yaldegan uniform, and consequentially ending up tied to a chair in his own domain? What's to keep me from entertaining Sadarin with it?"

"Because you love me too much."

Delbadar ignored him. "Besides, Sadarin's out, so you don't have to worry. Ah, there you go."

Raquin stood as the last of the knots was loosened. He rubbed his wrists, wincing. "Who were those guards, anyway? Never seen them here before."

Delbadar rolled her eyes into a long-suffering expression. "They were exiled from Brazim a month ago for 'activities unbecoming for a citizen of Brazim', and last week Sadarin found and recruited them while you were in Gavarik. As is usually the case with new guards, they are – shall we say – a little zealous in their duty to the warlord."

"You're telling me."

Delbadar smirked and crossed the room to a cabinet, from which she withdrew a black breastplate and a matching crested helmet.

"Here," she said as she tossed him the armor. "Get out of that outfit, before somebody shoots you."

As Raquin pulled the gold breastplate off, he told her, "The high and mighty Yaldegan military elite, radiating the glory of Verkata! That's why they wear gold armor, you know."

Delbadar smiled slightly. "So, are you going to tell me under what circumstances you'd forgotten that you were in enemy uniform?"

"I've just come from Divathan Theletaos's funeral. I was in a terrible hurry." Raquin fitted the black armor around his chest. "Speaking of which, I need to tell Sadarin as soon as possible."

Delbadar frowned, and sat on the bench next to the cabinet. "So, the Premier Warlord _is_ dead?"

"He died three days ago." Raquin finished with the last latch on his breastplate, and took a seat next to her. "I'd have left earlier, but as you can imagine, everyone in the palace was required to attend the funeral."

Delbadar leaned back, looking wary. Raquin took her hand, trying to offer comfort.

"Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" she asked.

"Actually, I am stunned that you hadn't already heard." Raquin frowned. "I suppose news doesn't travel as rapidly as it used to."

"We had," Delbadar leaned her head into Raquin's shoulder. "But rumors of his death have been flying around for the past two years. I always figured that if he died, you would confirm it."

"Well, this is me confirming it." Raquin scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. "Deljath's coronation is next week, which means I'll have to depart for Gavarik in a couple of days. They'll expect me there."

"Sadarin should be back before then," Delbadar assured him. "I think he just went to survey the training grounds." She paused for a moment, then added in worry, "He's going to try to persuade Lord Feyathrin to make… an arrangement… with the overlord of Broma."

Raquin froze.

"Is he mad?" he whispered. "If the Sestati finds out…"

"The Sestati will crack down on Capharon if they find out Sadarin's even alive," Delbadar pointed out. "But they won't find that out, or about the proposed alliance, unless Feyathrin blows it."

"But Sadarin had better be careful," Raquin replied. "He may have Feyathrin's sympathy, but now that Deljath Theletaos has inherited Cypnov's most powerful military position, if one spy tips him off…"

He broke off; there was no more to be said. Both of them knew exactly what the consequence would be.

* * *

When Donna entered the console room, she found the Doctor seated on the captain's chair with his feet resting on the console, his brow furrowed and his mouth curved into a small frown. He had buried his hands in his pockets, and was staring at the controls contemplatively; he had not noticed Donna come in.

"You look philosophical, Doctor," she commented. "That's probably what Einstein looked like when he thought of… whatever it was that earned him the title of genius."

The Doctor didn't reply, and Donna frowned. "Doctor?"

When he remained silent, Donna snorted and waved her hand in front of his eyes. The Doctor blinked and looked up. "Oh. Hello, Donna. Good rest last night?"

Donna repressed a snigger. "I saw Rose in the library on my way here. She's using some encyclopedia for a pillow. Looks like she's been there all night. Was she always this bookish?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No… not that she didn't like to learn, but Rose always preferred experiencing the universe to reading about it."

Donna laughed. "I sympathize with that."

That was when she noticed the Doctor's sad expression, and she sighed. "What's the matter, Doctor?"

The Doctor glanced at the door Donna had just come through, but didn't reply. Donna rolled her eyes.

"Come on! She suddenly likes reading, but that's no reason to act like she's died again."

The Doctor shot Donna a look. "You didn't know Rose before we found her again. She hasn't been herself lately."

Donna didn't reply. She may not have met Rose until two weeks ago, but she could see the Doctor watching Rose sometimes, sometimes his expression one of sadness, sometimes delight at having her back, and other times surprise or alarm at something Rose said or did, what he considered some effect that the computer Eve had left on her. The fact that Rose could suddenly read Gallifreyan, for example, was only one reminder that Rose was irreversibly altered, but Donna, who had not known Rose before all this, couldn't as readily see what bothered the Doctor so much. In truth, Rose reminded her of the Doctor himself. Reflecting on this, Donna thought in exasperation that this might have been what bothered him.

"She was twenty before you lost her," Donna finally reminded him. "She's ten thousand years old now. You can't expect her to just become twenty-year-old Rose again."

"That's just it," the Doctor muttered, breaking the silence. "She's the Rose who traveled with me, but at the same time, she's not. Before she fell into the Void, she always had… how can I put it?" He paused, and looked at the time rotor, his brow furrowed. "When I first met Jack, he was more callous and experienced than Rose was, but he too lacked the weariness that comes with age. We got separated, but when I next saw Jack, he had become like me, tired and bitter. At first I thought it was his affiliation with Torchwood that had changed him, but these days I think it was old age. And now the same thing is happening to Rose."

"How do you mean?" asked Donna.

The Doctor slid off the chair, and began fiddling with a few controls on the console before letting out a grown of frustration that made Donna stare.

"I've never seen her so restless!" he said, his voice agitated. "And I know she hates me worrying about her all the time like this, but I can't help it! Every day I see her obsessively planning her departure, as though she can't wait to get off the Tardis, and almost every time I pass the library, I can hear her pacing in there, muttering angry words about the Helials to herself! And then she'll lock herself in her room, and refuse to see anyone for hours…"

Donna said nothing; she had seen this too, but couldn't have remarked on this change in Rose's behavior, because in an odd way, she already understood.

"She's different," he concluded. "That bloody Void Ship changed her in more ways than one, and there's nothing to be done about it! I'm the Doctor, but there's no cure for old age."

He fell silent, and sat back down, rubbing his forehead distractedly.

"Then perhaps her departure is for the best," Donna said seriously. "Rose needs to sort herself out. Even I can see that. She needs to confront her problems, and she knows it. That's why she's leaving."

The Doctor looked up, and Donna thought she saw a wetness in one of his eyes, but he blinked, at it was gone.

"I know," he whispered. "It's hard for me to see her like this. Rose always had this innocence that made her seem completely indomitable. She would always say and do things that made me feel small and weak, because there was so much that I had forgotten."

"And that innocence has left the building," Donna finished. He nodded, and she continued sympathetically, "It would always have happened, Doctor. Rose would have aged anyway, though I don't think either of you expected her to age to ten thousand and still look like a flippin' twenty-year-old. Anyway, you're nine hundred years old and look like you're about thirty-five. Same diff."

The Doctor smiled in spite of himself. Then in an effort to change the subject, they began swapping stories either of the Doctor's mad adventures in space, or stories from Donna's childhood, none of which were boring and all of which made the Doctor laugh out loud.

A few minutes into this conversation, the subject of their previous conversation entered the room. Neither the Doctor nor Donna noticed her enter, and Rose smiled slightly at their humor, before clearing her throat.

"Morning Rose!" Donna said cheerfully, though very glad that Rose hadn't entered the room ten minutes ago. "How's the…"

She pointed at the side of her face, indicating the marks on Rose's face.

"Can barely feel them now," Rose said, rubbing her temple with the mechanical hand. She then turned to the Doctor. "I know where I want to go now."

They all fell silent. The Doctor hopped off the chair and looked at her closely. "You sure?"

Rose nodded. "Something occurred to me this morning. You know where the Kalyptan Gyre is, right?'

The Doctor nodded. "Holmberg III. I've passed through there a couple of times. The Helials left me alone. Marvelous galaxy."

"I think the Helials left something there," Rose said, "which I remember upset their Imperator. I don't know what it is, but I think someone should look into it, because it sounded dangerous, the sort of thing you don't want to leave lying around."

The Doctor grinned at this. "Sounds good."

"Well then," Rose told him, "let me tell you a bit about where we're going."

…

AN

By the way, Holmberg III is a real galaxy. It is roughly 68 million light years away from Earth, about thirty times the distance between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy.


	3. Chapter 3: Salesats and Sestati, Part I

Chapter 3:

Salesats and Sestati, Part I

A calm, collected breeze drifted silently through the brown grass that covered the dusty hills leading down from the Sunitoth Mountains and into the desert basin below. The sunlight was masked by cloud cover, but even that did not lessen the heat of late summer that bore down upon the landscape. The scene was a serene yet strange place, with an aura of meaning to it like the many sites and wonders that lie scattered across Cypnov, a part of Yaldego that had been relatively undisturbed through the ages, from the Radalans' earliest days through the Helials' conquest, to the present times.

Loose grains of dirt were swept across the land as another gust of wind breathed through the grass, almost masking an eerie, new sound that seemed to materialize from nowhere, the revs of a strange, unearthly engine. Then it appeared, a blue object no larger than a Radalan agrarian storage shed, like a wooden, rectangular prism, each side featuring two small windows.

Then the box's double door opened, and Rose Tyler stepped out of the Tardis, surveying the scene before her. Donna Noble exited the Tardis next, also looking around in great curiosity.

"So this is Cypnov?" she asked Rose.

The other nodded. "And it looks like the Doctor's landed us in the middle of nowhere." She shot an annoyed look back at the Tardis. "I was expecting to come out somewhere more humid."

Donna smirked. "He has a knack for doing that, doesn't he? Probably not where he intended to land either."

"Oi!" called an indignant voice behind her, and Donna turned around to raise an eyebrow at the Doctor.

"Well, you do!" she retorted. "How many times have you landed us in the wrong year or the wrong planet now?"

"Well, don't knock it," the Doctor said irritably. "Rose is the one familiar with this sector of the universe, not me. Aren't you, Rose?"

Rose, however, didn't appear to be listening. She had clambered onto a rock and was scrutinizing the desert stretching out before her, and sometimes glanced at the mountain behind her.

"Have you got any binoculars or something?" she asked him.

"Sure." The Doctor reached into one of his pockets and produced a pair, which he handed to Rose, who turned back to look at the desert.

"Ah," she said, squinting through the binoculars. "Have a look."

The Doctor took them and peered into the desert. After a moment, he caught sight of what looked like flat metal cones rising from the ground in the distance; it was impossible to see them without the binoculars, but the Doctor nonetheless put them down and squinted into the desert again. "Those look like oil rigs to me."

Rose nodded. "Think I know where we are now. Oil rigs in a desert, a mountain range behind us…" She gestured behind them, and the Doctor and Donna turned to see the chain of mountains that stretched out further than the eye could see, high enough to be capped with snow, but as desolate as the hills they stood upon and the valley below.

She leapt down from the rock, and brushed some brown dust off her black denim jacket. "Doctor, Donna, welcome to Yaldego, the driest region of Cypnov, and the location of the planet's largest oil well."

Donna looked surprised. "The aliens here still use oil?"

Rose shrugged. "When the Helials conquered Cypnov, Radalan technology wasn't that much more advanced than Earth technology currently is," she told Donna. "They got as far as the fifth planet in this solar system, but not beyond… bit like humans getting as far as Mars, really."

"And if I were to hazard a guess," the Doctor added, "I'd say that the Helials took most of their technology with them, but we won't know that for certain until we find a Radalan town or something."

"If there are any around here," Donna muttered. The others ignored her.

Rose and the Doctor turned to look in the direction of the oil rigs. "Yaldego isn't uninhabited though," she told him, "and I'm not just talking about the oil trade."

Rose squinted at the desert horizon again for another moment, before turning to the Doctor. "I'd like to have a look around." She paused, looking thoughtful, and in the moment that passed, a cloud shifted and the sunlight seemed to pierce through them like an X-ray, causing all three of them to shut their eyes at the sudden brightness and hold up their hands to block it. The Doctor watched her intently, waiting for her to start for another moment, until their thoughts were interrupted by a yelp beside them.

Rose and the Doctor turned to look at Donna, and saw that she had leapt backwards, her eyes fixed on an animal that was watching them intently. The creature was about the same size as a mule, and had a similar, equine build, but its head and ears were more lupine. It had long horns like a gazelle's, and also enormous, feathered wings which one estimated to be about twelve feet in span. It was coated with light brown feathers, and its face and neck had streaks of bright red. Its feet were also avian, thick dark skin exposed at the knee, but its claws were so large and so close together that its feet were almost a cloven, three-toed hoof.

The creature pawed the ground softly as Donna backed away, her eyes wide with surprise and alarm. Rose, on the other hand, approached the creature, and reached a hand out to it. Donna and the Doctor stepped forward, both unsure of whether they ought to pull Rose back from it, but before they could take another step, Rose started stroking the creature's head, and it closed its wrinkled eyes lazily, as though it were enjoying her touch.

"What is it?" Donna asked in amazement.

"It's a Salesat," Rose informed her in a matter-of-fact tone. "Don't worry, they're harmless."

"Looks like a giant wolf with wings and horns to me," Donna grunted. "You sure they're not dangerous?"

Rose snorted. "Come on, if it was as ferocious as Earth wolves, it would have snapped at me, wouldn't it? I'll grant that a Salesat might bite you if you really annoyed it, but usually they're quite docile. The Radalans domesticated them tens of thousands of years ago. They're Cypnov's equivalent to the horse really."

Turning her attention back to the Salesat, she said, "Where'd you come from?"

The Salesat merely snorted in reply, and continued pawing the ground. Rose smiled slightly and stepped back, before turning to the Doctor.

"There's probably a town nearby if we've got a Salesat wandering around," she told him. "I'm going to go have a look."

She turned to squint at the desert again. "Get some water," she told him. "We're going to need it."

********

It didn't take long for Donna to realize that wandering around a desert was nothing like what one saw in westerns. Upon Rose's prompting, the Salesat led them down the path, presumably to wherever it came from, but it appeared to have been quite a distance, and the sun (Rose had told her it was called Verkata by the inhabitants) beat down upon them now that the clouds had shifted, heating the valley even more; that along with its bright light made Donna feel tired and light-headed.

The dust and dry air didn't help. Every time someone stumbled, or they slid down a the slope of a hill, or a gust of wind swept through, a cloud of dust would follow. Having never been in a desert before, Donna had always assumed that it was like sand at the beach, but this dust was just dry soil. It had none of the coarse texture of sand, and when it was swept into the air, she could smell and taste it. It made her mouth and throat feel dry, and the complete lack of moisture in the air made her nose burn and her eyes water.

Donna looked at Rose and the Doctor, both of whom seemed to be handling the desert environment better. She was clueless as to how Rose, who was wearing a black denim jacket, a green long-sleeved shirt, and black pants, or the Doctor, dressed in his usual suit and trench coat, could stand the heat, but it didn't seem to slow them down. The Doctor had put on a straw hat and sunglasses, something that had amused Rose and Donna at first, but now the latter suddenly had to hand it to the Doctor for putting them on.

"What sort of aliens live in this place?" she called out to Rose, who was gripping one of the Salesat's horns as it pulled her down the path. Rose dug her heels into the dirt and the animal stopped, allowing her to turn to Donna to reply.

"You all right?" she asked in concern when she saw Donna's pink face and heavy breathing.

"I've got a headache," Donna said, massaging her temples to no avail.

The Doctor handed her a water bottle. "Drink some water," he told her sternly. "In a place like this, headaches are a sign that you haven't been drinking enough."

"We've only been out here for half an hour!" Donna protested.

The Doctor shook his head. "Doesn't matter. You can dehydrate very quickly out here, and that's made even more dangerous by the fact that you may not even realize you need water."

"Well, you're the one who landed us here," Donna snapped. "Rose said it herself, she was expecting some place more humid."

"That's because most of the planet is humid," Rose said. "But in reality the forests on Cypnov are just as harsh environments as the deserts. We'd be hardly any better off there."

Donna scowled. "Go on then. What are the aliens like here?"

Rose paused, considering. After a moment, she was only able to say, "You'll have to see one. They're a fascinating race, but words don't do their appearance justice."

After another few minutes, Donna needed to sit down, and Rose couldn't blame her. Travels with the Doctor had taken her to deserts before, but experience didn't lessen the discomfort of the harsh environment.

Rose sat next to Donna while the Doctor remained standing, and she closed her eyes for a moment, wishing she'd brought sunglasses as well, and that she'd worn something besides the black denim. The Salesat paused, and sat down itself, making strange guttural noises as it did. Beside Rose, Donna sneezed violently in the sunlight.

"Not exactly Clint Eastwood, is this?" she asked irritably, rubbing her nose. Rose smirked slightly.

Next to them, the Doctor began stroking the Salesat's glossy brown feathers. "It's a beautiful animal," he commented. "And it certainly would suit an agrarian Radalan's needs."

"It doesn't look very well built for flight," Donna said as she rubbed her left eye.

"No, but they're still surprisingly fast fliers," Rose told her, "and very strong too. The Radalans have traveled by flight for most of their existence. They invented Salesat-drawn gliders instead of carriages, and for that reason, they also invented aircrafts before automobiles."

At that moment, said animal stood and started shaking dust off its body violently. Rose stood as well, and again took the Salesat by its horn.

"Oh, do we have to start again already?" groaned Donna as she started fanning herself.

"You could always ride the Salesat," the Doctor pointed out as he helped her to her feet.

"Doctor?" Rose called, and he looked up to see that she was standing by a scarp, looking not at the desert, but at something at the foot of the hills. The Doctor and Donna joined her and she pointed. In the valley below, he'd guess perhaps a mile away, lay several square cemented plots of land, each with what looked like large steel circular lids in the center. The lots were all fenced off, and there were several circular sandstone buildings adjacent to the circles.

"Is it just me, or do those look like missile silos?" Rose asked.

The Doctor squinted, and was about to reply when he heard a loud click behind them… the click of a gun. Instinctively, the Doctor raised his hands into the air, and beside him, he saw Donna and Rose do the same, Donna's expression one of surprise, and Rose's one of exasperation.

Then a rough voice behind them said, "You will all turn to face me, and place your hands on your head."

The Doctor obeyed, and turned to see an extraordinary creature. He'd seen them before, but each time, they never failed to fascinate him. The Radalans were avian, like their steeds, but stood upright like humans, only a head shorter than Rose or Donna. They had two arms and two legs along with the set of powerful wings which had a span roughly seven or eight feet. They had smooth, turquoise feathers, except at the taloned hands and feet, where dark, leathery skin had been exposed. The Radalans also had a flat, almost serpentine face, similarly coated with feathers, and ears shaped like the fins of a fish.

But their most striking feature was their thick, stiff tails, which arched above the back like a scorpion's tail, and was tipped with a leathery pouch shaped like a flower bud.

There were five of them, all lined up and pointing guns at them. They were dressed in gold-colored synthetic armor which simultaneously reminded the Doctor of the Romans and the Prussians: the scaled breastplate was worn over a blue tunic, and they wore spiked helmets like those of the Germans prior to World War I.

One of them, presumably the one which had spoken, was standing closer to them than the others, and wore a medallion over his breastplate which featured an insignia of several triangles and the word "Sestati." This one, probably the leader, pointed his gun at the Doctor and Rose.

"Put your hands on your head," he repeated angrily, and Donna looked at them to see the Doctor obey quietly. The Radalan stepped back, and began barking out orders to the others; moments later, the Doctor, Rose, and Donna found themselves being led back up the path, their hands still on their heads. As they struggled up the dusty path, Donna looked at Rose.

"What a warm welcome," she said sarcastically. "You didn't tell me that the Radalans were this friendly."

"Be fair," the Doctor said cheerfully. "We aren't exactly a common sight on this planet."

"Is this really how we treat aliens back on Earth?" Donna looked disgusted.

Rose shrugged. "There's a perfectly logical explanation for this, and it's not xenophobia," she told Donna. "The Radalans have seen plenty of aliens before, but we're humanoids, and they're not happy about that."

Donna stared at her. "Meaning?"

Rose smirked. "They think we're Helials."

********

**I'm going to stop here so I can post something (I'm going to try to update this story weekly), but there's more to Chapter 3; the rest is more exciting. Anyway, I thought that this was a fun way to leave you hanging. Yes, the Helials do look like humans, so naturally, when the Radalans see two humans and a Time Lord, they're going to think that they're some of their previous conquerors. **

**Donna's description of walking through the Yaldegan desert was totally from my own experience. That more or less was a description of the typical hot summer day in Utah outside of urban areas: heat, dehydration, wind, dry grass, sunlight, sunburn, lots of locusts, dust, dust, dust. If you ever end up in rural Utah during the summer, make sure you have a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a water bottle. Trust me, you'd have an unbearable time otherwise. **

**Quote time! This one is a bit harder, because it's from the Classic series, but it was from an excellent episode.**

"**Mark this moment Doctor. In the history of the universe, this moment is unique! Davros lives!"**

"**Well, I see that your long rest has done nothing to cure your megalomania. Have a Jelly Baby."**


	4. Chapter 4: Salesats and Sestati, Part II

Chapter 4:

Salesats and Sestati, Part II

Rose fidgeted slightly in her seat, trying and failing to find a comfortable position; it was a difficult feat, considering that her hands were cuffed behind her back and she couldn't see anything. She twisted slightly in an attempt to stretch her arms as much as was physiologically possible, but try as she might, she just couldn't get feeling back into the fingers of her right hand (for the first time since the Void Ship, Rose was grateful that her left hand was mechanical and didn't have blood circulation). Instead, she felt the barrel of a gun jab uncomfortably into her shoulder, and a sharp voice order her to keep still; it was only due to the guard's close proximity that Rose could hear him over the roar of the halictid.

_Typical,_ she thought. _We're only here for half an hour before the locals arrest us._

She, the Doctor, and Donna had been stuck inside the aircraft for about half an hour now, and she supposed that at least this was better than being marched across the desert. The guards had done that for what felt to their prisoners like eternity, with their hands on the back of their heads. Rose had felt sweat running down the back of her neck and also her skin beginning to sunburn. By the time they mercifully reached what she recognized as a Radalan ornithopter, she began to feel faint and also had the uncomfortable sensation of grit and dirt in her shoes, ears, eyes, and even her nose. Beside her, the Doctor still appeared to be doing well, but Donna had had a hard time. As the Radalans told them to halt, Donna's face had become very red, and she looked very dizzy, but she was not sweating.

As she sank onto a rock, her head in her hands, the nearest Radalan tipped her head back and poured cool water onto her face and mouth from a pouch he carried. Donna had coughed and spluttered, but a moment later she looked stronger, and took the pouch the guard offered her.

The Doctor and Rose stood beside Donna, and the former bent over her, concern evident in his eyes.

"She's got heat stroke," he informed Rose.

The other shook her head. "It's my fault. We shouldn't have come so far."

The Doctor shrugged. "They probably would have found us anyway."

"I'm fine," Donna told them in annoyance. "I just need a rest, that's all."

At that moment, the captain barked, "Line up, you three!"

"But Donna's sick!" the Doctor shouted back angrily.

The captain's face contorted into a scowl, and he stepped forward but then Donna stood, and shot the Doctor a dirty look.

"Don't make this worse on my account!" she snapped. "Do what they say!"

Feeling that it was pointless not to cooperate, the Doctor and Rose obeyed the Radalan's orders and lined up next to Donna. The Doctor turned his attention to the halictid, an enormous ornithopter with a twenty-foot wingspan, the four gigantic metal wings glittering with dark blue panels like the wings of a dragonfly. The ornithopter's design somewhat resembled the shape of a bee, the head being the cockpit. The end of the aircraft featured a jet engine.

"What a beauty!" the Doctor said to a guard standing next to him. "There's an art to constructing ornithopters, you know! Solar panels on the wings to keep the batteries charged, am I right? And I'd say that looks like a fission engine—oi!"

The Doctor's technobabble ended with a shout of protest as the guard stepped behind them and grabbed both his wrists, pulling them behind the Time Lord's back before cuffing him with what looked like steel bracers welded together. Two others had simultaneously cuffed Rose and Donna.

"Well, that's not very polite," the Doctor said calmly to the irritated-looking captain.

"Doctor," Donna hissed, "shut up!"

The Doctor ignored her. "Where are you taking…"

But at a gesture from the captain, a guard pulled a sack over the Doctor's head, cutting off his question. Rose watched as they pushed him up the ramp and into the halictid before putting another brown sack over Donna's head. A second later, Rose heard another guard step behind her and then her vision went dark as another sack went over her own head as well.

And now here they were, still blindfolded and cuffed, sitting helplessly in the deafening ornithopter and awaiting their fate. Nobody said anything, partly because Rose wasn't sure exactly where the Doctor and Donna were seated, and partly because there was too much noise to hear each other. Rose sighed in frustration, and leaned back into her seat, feeling her right hand start to go numb. At this rate, both her hands might end up mechanical if this went on much longer.

As it happened, it wasn't very long before Rose felt the halictid slow and start to descend, but all she could do was wait. As the roar began to die down, she could hear the Radalans more clearly.

"Base to Captain Sarjeth, report," cracked a voice on a radio somewhere near what Rose assumed was the cockpit.

The captain spoke up. "This is Sarjeth. Halictid 78-90 descending on helipad 4."

As he spoke, she felt the vehicle lurch as it touched ground. Rose felt a strong, clawed hand grab her shoulder and pull her to her feet, before leading her forward, in what direction she could not tell. She tripped on what felt like seats as she walked, before the guard turned to her left, pulling her with him. She then felt herself descend down the ramp, and felt sunlight on what little exposed skins he had.

She didn't know how long she walked blindfolded like this. Knowing time, what felt like hours was probably actually only a few minutes, but she kept walking, feeling the Radalan's grip tighten on her arm uncomfortably. She couldn't hear anything outside except the footsteps of other Radalans and occasional, disjointed phrases spoken by bystanders. Then she felt a sudden cool temperature, and guessed that she had been taken inside a building.

A moment later, she heard the guard warn her, "Stairs," and a second later, she tripped over a step, landing painfully.

"Get up!" snapped the guard, and Rose rolled backwards into a squatting position before standing herself up.

"This would be easier if you'd take the blindfold off," she said calmly, but the sack muffled her voice, and the guard ignored her. Rose moved her left foot forward, feeling around before she found the stair and started to slowly climb the rest, allowing her captives to guide her. She counted the steps as she went, and when she reached twenty-five, the floor went level and she was pulled to her right.

A few minutes later, she heard a door open, and she was led past it before brought to a halt. Then she felt fingers fiddling with the drawstring at her neck, and a second later a rush of cool air fell on her face as the blindfold came off.

"Hello Rose!" The Doctor said jocularly. He was standing right next to her, grinning as though they hadn't just been arrested. Rose didn't respond as she felt one of the guards take the handcuffs off her wrists. She winced rubbing her right wrist, and she glanced at the Doctor to see the turquoise guard uncuff him as well, before looking around.

They were standing in a small room which contained nothing more than a bed, a bench under the barred window, and a writing desk with a stool. The only decoration in the room was the rug on the floor. Donna was seated on the bench, her hands already uncuffed.

"You three will remain here until the colonel can speak to you," the guard said in a no-nonsense voice.

"Oh, what colonel?" asked Rose curiously.

"Colonel Yadathrin of the twenty-fourth Sestati force," the guard said to her, looking irritated at having been spoken to, before slamming the door shut. A soft click told them that he had locked the door, and Rose and the Doctor looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"Well, that's one way to get to know the planet's inhabitants," Donna said sardonically. "Get arrested. How far do you think they took us?"

The Doctor shrugged. "We were in that ornithopter for exactly thirty-nine minutes and twenty-two seconds, so we've definitely been taken miles from our starting point."

Donna groaned. "How are we going to get back to the Tardis?"

"They think we're Helials," Rose said, taking a seat on the bed. "If they find the Tardis, they'll have taken her somewhere as well." She frowned, thinking back. "What's the Sestati?"

The Doctor sat down too. "You tell me. You've been doing the research."

But Rose shook her head. "My knowledge of Cypnovan history goes as far as the Helials' departure into the Void, and it's been six or seven hundred years since then. Anything could have happened in that time." She sighed, and scooted backwards on the bed until she was leaning against the concrete wall. "Fat lot of good that is."

The Doctor put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "You know a lot more than I do, and that's saying something."

Rose resisted the urge to snort with humorless laughter at the Doctor's egotism.

"Well, if they think we're Helials, they're probably going to interrogate us," Donna said. "Then we can find out what the Sestati is, and maybe I can give them a piece of my mind for the flight here. That had to be the worst air travel I've ever endured."

But Rose shot her a severe look. "Donna, I know that it is against your nature, but you're going to have to hold your tongue here. You must not provoke them; they'd poison you."

Donna laughed for a moment, until she noticed that Rose hadn't joined in her amusement. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Deadly serious. A Radalan could kill you in a split second if he wanted to."

The Doctor and Donna stared at her. "I'm not an expert in Cypnovan history or biology, but what makes you say that?" asked the Doctor curiously.

Rose pointed at the door, where she assumed a guard was standing outside. "You saw the tails?" she asked. "Did you notice the sac at the end of the tail, looked almost like a flower bud?"

Donna nodded slowly.

"That pouch can fire razor-sharp barbs," Rose said quietly, "and those barbs are coated with a glutinous substance that to a human is nearly three thousand times more poisonous than cyanide."

The other looked shocked at this statement, but after a moment, she asked, "Why do they need guns then?"

Rose smirked. "They're immune to the toxin. It really was a self-defense weapon against predators and for hunting prey before they rose to civilization. But for fighting among themselves, they have to resort to other means."

At that moment, the door opened again, and a guard entered. Donna kept a close eye on the guard's tail as he looked at each of them in turn, and then pointed to the Doctor.

"You, come with me."

"Where are you taking him?" Donna demanded suddenly, but Rose shot her a look that she took as a reminder not to anger the Radalans.

"Yadathrin requests the male's presence," the Radalan told them.

The Doctor nodded and stood. "I'll see you later," he told them quietly.

********

Colonel Yadathrin's office wasn't a large one. There was barely enough room for a few guests among the bookshelves, the desk in the center of the room, and what the Doctor guessed was a Cypnovan computer, judging from the screen and the pad of letters and numbers, but nonetheless the two guards that accompanied him pulled him into the office and sat him down on a stool by the desk, where the colonel himself sat.

"Leave us," he told the guards, who obediently exited the room without a word.

Yadathrin was the largest Radalan the Doctor had yet seen, standing only a head shorter than he did (the others had all been between four and five feet in height), and his piercing gray eyes held an aura of intimidation that the Doctor found unnerving. The colonel wore a black tunic with several clasps and metals attached to it that probably signified rank and achievements, but what really drew the Doctor's attention was the brooch on Yadathrin's shoulder that showed five triangles and the words_ Yaldegan Secret State Police._

"Sestati," the Doctor mouthed the abbreviation as he read the words repeatedly, suddenly realizing the full scope of the situation they had landed themselves in. Yadathrin looked at the Doctor for a moment, his eyes narrowed into what appeared to be an expression of astonishment and curiosity, but unlike the other Radalans that had made the arrest, there wasn't an ounce of fear in those eyes.

"You did not realize that we were the secret police?" Yadathrin asked calmly. While his eyes and build were clearly very intimidating to other Radalans, he spoke with a warm, reassuring voice, one which probably became very useful in interrogations, the Doctor thought dryly.

The Time Lord shook his head in reply to the colonel's question. He had had encounters with such organizations in the past (including a particularly nasty incident in 1971 with the Stasi in the German Democratic Republic), and knew from experience that saying the wrong thing at the wrong time with these people could result in a beating or a bullet in the kneecaps.

Apparently not one to beat around the bush, Yadathrin picked up a sheet of green-tinted paper from his desk and looked at it carefully before elevating his eyes to meet the Doctor's.

"State your name and purpose."

The Doctor answered tonelessly, "The Doctor… I'm a traveler."

Yadathrin raised a feathery aquamarine eyebrow. "An expansionist?"

His eyes not leaving the Radalan's, the Doctor told him, "I am not a Helial."

Yadathrin ignored this completely. Turning his eyes back to the paper, he said, "Captain Sarjeth reports that your footprints led them to a blue box previously unseen in that area. The box was transferred to headquarters shortly after you and the other prisoners were. This is your ship?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrow as well, impressed by Yadathrin's apparent knowledge, but didn't answer. Yadathrin, however, took his captive's silence as an affirmative, and continued.

"It is bigger on the inside then."

Again, the Doctor said nothing.

Yadathrin continued to read the report for another moment. As he did, the Doctor thought he heard screaming somewhere above him, and winced inwardly as he remembered the interrogations given by the Stasi. His only source of comfort was that Rose and Donna were on the same floor as Yadathrin's office, so the shouting couldn't have come from their cell.

Yadathrin spared only a glance at the ceiling before returning to the report. Then he looked at the Doctor again. "What were you doing by the silo?" he asked slowly, his face sinking into a suspicious frown.

The Doctor shrugged. "We were wandering. We only happened upon them."

Yadathrin stared, his expression unchanging. "Then you didn't know it was there."

His voice didn't not betray any incredulity he might have felt, but the Doctor was certain that Yadathrin didn't believe him. Inwardly, he wondered what was so important about those silos, that the secret police took particular interest in keeping them a secret, but from experience, the Doctor knew better than to ask. Instead, he replied, "Not at all."

"Yet you landed there," persisted the officer. "Did you have a purpose for landing in that particular area?"

Someone above them screamed again. The Doctor glanced up nervously, before saying to Yadathrin, "No… it was at random."

"So the blue box _is_ your ship," the Radalan said, and the Doctor knew that there was no point in trying to hide that. Resigned, the Doctor nodded, knowing that until the Sestati saw fit to release them (and that could take years, if they were anything like the Stasi or the Gestapo), they would keep the Tardis under constant surveillance, making absolutely certain that nobody could approach it. He was trapped on this world.

"Why did you come to Cypnov?" asked Yadathrin, his voice losing none of its warmth.

The Doctor was silent, thinking of how to answer the Sestati officer, but after a moment's thought, he could only say vaguely, "A survey really."

Yadathrin blinked, clearly unsure of what to make of this answer, and for a moment, the Doctor feared that he had crossed a line. The other confirmed this when he said coolly, "Were you a Radalan I would have you beaten for such a vague answer, but as it were, I would prefer not to be… incendiary."

The Doctor stared, but before he could reply, Yadathrin continued with his questions. "Are your people returning to their former empire?"

"I told you," the Doctor said in exasperation, "we're not Helials!"

"Who are the two females, and what are their ranks?" Yadathrin asked, again ignoring the Doctor's statement.

Now thoroughly exasperated, the Doctor answered, "They're friends and traveling companions. That's all."

The Time Lord and the Radalan stared at each other for a long moment, both completely expressionless, as though they were simultaneously hiding something from the other, or were unsure of what to make of the other. Then Yadathrin called for the guards.

As they entered, the colonel told them, "Take him back to his cell. Give him and his companions food and water, and keep them in acceptable living conditions."

The Doctor sighed in relief; it was better than he expected, and for a moment he almost respected Yadathrin. But then the screaming started again, and Yadathrin rolled his eyes in annoyance, before picking up a small metal device with a speaker grill, and pressing a switch on the side before saying into it, "Kogartin, dispatch the prisoner Derathin. You know he's got nothing more to say, and I'm sick of that infernal racket he's making."

As they exited the office, the Doctor flinched in horror as a gunshot sounded upstairs, and the screaming ended abruptly. A moment later, two other guards appeared on the stairs, dragging a large bundle behind them and down the stairs with a series of soft thuds. As they passed, a trail of viscous, purple blood leaked from the bundle onto the floor.

********

**I think I've been watching too many films about the Nazis… but then again, history is my field of study, and the Third Reich is what I study the most, so I suppose I asked for it. Don't watch "Downfall" or "The Pianist" unless you've got a stomach. Trust me. **

**You guessed it, the Sestati are based on the Gestapo, even named a similar way. This is a bit of trivia, but "Gestapo" stands for "Geheime Staatspolizei," which means "secret state police" in German. I simply took the words and made a similar abbreviation: Sestati. For extra trivia, the Stasi, if you didn't know this before, were the communist secret police of East Germany. The idea here is that the Doctor, having dealt with secret police in the past, knows to act cooperative and serious around the Sestati, because he knows that if he makes light of the situation, he could get tortured or shot. **

**Yeah, the Doctor, Rose, and Donna have landed themselves in an extremely dangerous situation, and it's about to get stickier. **

**Today's quote: **

"**Are you all right?"**

"**Fine. What, are you expecting me to faint, or something?"**

"**You look a little dizzy."**

"**What about you? You're not even in focus!" [She passes out.]**


	5. Chapter 5: The Yaldegan Condition

Chapter 5

The Yaldegan Condition

It had been several days since their arrival at the Sestati Headquarters near Greyalden (the center for oil trade in Yaldego, according to Rose), but since then, Rose, the Doctor, and Donna had done nothing except sit in their cell. The Sestati did not give a single hint, not even a whisper, to suggest their fate. Rose and Donna were questioned in a similar manner to the Doctor soon after his own interrogation, but just as with the Doctor, Yadathrin did not respond to their protests that they were not Taledrevan. Donna had even suggested that the Sestati do a blood test as proof, but Yadathrin appeared to have ignored her.

Since then, the only Radalans they ever spoke to were the guards when they brought food, and they never answered their prisoners' questions, nor were they pleasant company. On one of these occasions, once the guard had left the cell, Donna suggested taking him out the next time he brought food and do a runner, but Rose squashed this idea by pointing out that even if they did miraculously escape the heavily guarded Sestati headquarters without getting the toxic barbs in their backs, they still had nowhere to go because they didn't know where the guards hid the Tardis.

Rose had to admit, though, that the idea was much more appealing than being locked up knowing nothing. As a disappointed Donna sank onto the bed and began playing with a flake of white paint peeling from the wall, Rose took a seat by the bench and, more to find something to do than anything else, started brushing dust from the window sill.

She had spent a lot of her time there looking through the bars to the outside, where she distantly could see sandstone spiral towers and Halictids flying between those buildings, and occasionally a Sestati guard soared past the window. Those moments at the window usually were spent in deep thought of how to convince the Radalans to listen to them, and wondering just how repressive a society Yaldego had become. Rose had been very surprised when the Doctor discovered that the Sestati was an organization of secret police.

She couldn't know, of course, what had happened between the Helials' departure and the present moment, but prior to and during the Helials' conquest, Yaldego was very much a just civilization with adherence to common and civil law and social order. It had been a republic, in which the people were granted rights and protections of those rights. But apparently that state had disappeared, and she wondered how this place could have undergone such a transformation.

Rose looked at the sill and watched a small, red insect-like creature with five legs and a tiny head with two beady eyes ambled its way between the iron bars. These creatures, they were told, were called Neibs, arthropods that ate the bark of certain species of desert trees, and their prison cell was full of them.

Donna had been revolted by them at first, but after a few days one got used to them, although Rose had, on more than one occasion, woken up to the sensation of a Neib crawling on her face or arms. It was annoying, she thought, but the plus side was that they frequently interrupted her continuous dreams about the Void Ship.

As she watched, the Neib flared out its six wings and flew suddenly to one of the bars with a light buzz. As it climbed the iron bar slowly, Rose caught sight of movement in the courtyard below. Leaning forward for a closer look, Rose saw five Sestati officers, including Sinadar Yadathrin, lead a group of prisoners into the center of the courtyard. The prisoners were all shoved into a line, and Rose watched as Yadathrin began pacing up and down before them. She could not hear what he was saying, but she could see one of the officers beating his hand lightly with what looked like a blackjack.

When he finished talking, Yadathrin stood before the prisoners, his posture and countenance expressing expectation, and Rose realized that he had been interrogating the prisoners. When none of them replied, however, Yadathrin nodded at the burly officer holding the weapon, and the latter marched behind the row of prisoners, striking them, one by one, between the wings with the blackjack. Every time the officer struck, the victim would stagger forward, sometimes falling; the sound did not penetrate the window, but the prisoners clearly were howling in pain.

Seeing her sickened expression, the Doctor, who had been eating the strange, bluish vegetables the guards had brought them, stood and joined her at the window. Rose saw his face harden as he caught sight of the brutal scene below, and she turned again just in time to see one of the prisoners, unable to take any more of the torture, leap out of line, run across the courtyard and take flight—but he had hardly gone ten feet into the air before the healthier guards were on top of him. Rose watched as the prisoner tried all sorts of flight maneuvers, but it proved to be in vain as the guards dragged him down and began bludgeoning him. Rose felt the Doctor cringe beside her in disgust, but neither of them could turn away from the scene. Then, after what felt like hours, the guards finally stopped, and at a gesture from Yadathrin, they dragged the unconscious wretch out of sight, leaving a mess of blood and turquoise feathers.

Before anything else happened, Rose felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, and the Doctor turned her away from the window, and they both sat down. Across the room from them, Donna still lay on the bed, looking bored. She clearly had not seen the horrible spectacle in the courtyard, and the Doctor and Rose looked at each other for a moment, silently agreeing to not mention what they had just seen.

"What I don't get," Rose said after a few moments, trying to keep her voice casual, "is why we're being treated rather well, considering… Well, the Neibs are annoying, but they feed us, they refrain from harming us…"

Donna glanced up as Rose spoke, and the Doctor leaned back, resting his head against the wall.

"When I was being interrogated, Yadathrin"—Rose saw him stiffen slightly at the mere mention of their captor—"mentioned that he'd have me beaten were I a Radalan," he said contemplatively, "and I think that suggests that they're afraid of what might follow if they did torture us."

Rose laced her fingers together, thinking about his words, before she elaborated, "They're worried that if they torture three of their former colonial master, they'll bring the empire back upon them. Their mistaking us for Helials may have saved our lives."

The Doctor nodded. "Exactly.

"But we've repeatedly told them that we're not," Donna pointed out.

"Perhaps they're waiting for orders," the Doctor said. "All we need is for them to run a blood test or something. They surely have records of Taledrevan DNA to compare it to."

As he spoke, Rose suddenly realized the hidden danger of a possible DNA scan… because if the Radalans compared Rose's DNA to Taledrevan DNA, they might notice that she was more closely related genetically to the Helials than the Doctor or Donna, and that, most notably, she had the Taledrevan regeneration cycle. Her still being mostly human notwithstanding, the last thing she needed was for the Yaldegan Sestati to see the connection, especially after witnessing what they did to political prisoners.

She thought back to that poor prisoner who, if he ever recovered physically, would probably suffer the rest of his life from the emotional scars left by Yadathrin's cruelty. Donna wanted to escape, and Rose felt guilty for bringing them to this place, but now that she saw the extent of the damage done to Cypnov, she found herself determined not to leave the planet until she had done something to fix what once was a shining civilization.

********

Sinadar Yadathrin drummed his fingers on his desk impatiently as he listened to the communicator's high-pitched, rhythmic beeps. After a moment, the beeps stopped abruptly, and the image of Raquin Nahtavid's face appeared on the screen.

"What is it now, Yadathrin?" he asked, looking completely bored.

"I'd watch your tone, if I were you," an irked Yadathrin replied.

"And yet, I am of a superior position than you." Yadathrin saw Raquin lean back in his chair, and place his hands on the back of his head casually. "So, usual questions… what's your purpose for calling?"

"I need to speak to Ferjhaal Davinathe," Yadathrin told him.

Raquin raised an eyebrow.

"It concerns the capture of three illegal aliens four days ago," Yadathrin continued.

"Why weren't we notified?" Raquin interrupted, his other eyebrow elevating as well. When Yadathrin didn't reply, Raquin rolled his eyes before asking, "Aliens from where?"

"That is for Davinathe's ears only," Yadathrin told him sourly. "Now please put him on the line."

Raquin shrugged. "Hold on a tick."

A moment later, the screen flicked to another channel, and the sallow face of Ferjhaal Davinathe appeared. He was bent over his desk, clearly absorbed in writing what looked like a memo, and had not noticed Yadathrin's appearance.

When the latter cleared his throat, Davinathe looked up, and his gray eyes met Yadathrin's. The former put his pen down.

"Good day, Sinadar," he said softly. "Nahtavid tells me that you captured three illegal aliens four days ago. Might I ask where they're from? Capharon? Brazim?"

"Taledrev," said Yadathrin bitterly.

********

On the other channel, Raquin had to bite hard into his hand to stop his surprised gasp. Knowing what sort of person Yadathrin was, and what sort of "duties" he was placed in charge of, Raquin had known from the beginning that the colonel had to be monitored closely, so when he transferred Yadathrin to Davinathe, he tapped into the sound just in time to hear Davinathe's inquiry to the aliens' origins. What Raquin had not expected was Yadathrin's reply.

Uncharacteristically (he was usually kept a cool head in a crisis), Davinathe's reply showed the shock that Raquin felt. "Helials?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly.

"They certainly look like Helials."

"Are you certain?" Davinathe asked. "More than one alien race bears that shape, you know."

"All three of them have denied being Taledrevan," Yadathrin admitted, "but they could be lying. Besides, we have their ship, and it must be bigger on the inside, as Helian vessels frequently were."

Raquin stared at his communicator screen, which remained black so that Yadathrin and Davinathe couldn't discover his eavesdropping, wondering when Yadathrin had done research on the Helials and what little anyone knew about their technology.

"How do you know?" asked Davinathe skeptically.

"There are three of them, and there's no other way they could fit inside the box they arrived in," Yadathrin told him. "My agents can't get inside the ship, but believe me, they've tried."

"What does it look like?"

"A box." Raquin couldn't help but smirk at Yadathrin's reply.

"Apologies, you did mention that, didn't you?" Davinathe sighed into the com. "What's been done with them?"

Yadathrin replied that they were being heavily guarded but kept in comfort and well fed on what the records told him was edible for Helials.

"Well done," Davinathe told Yadathrin. "Keep them in comfort, while I speak to the Premier Warlord about this, but be prepared to transfer them to Gavarik. I'm certain that Lord Theletaos would like to meet with the aliens."

There was a pause, and for a moment, Raquin thought Davinathe had hung up on Yadathrin, but then he spoke up again.

"You say that they deny being Taledrevan?" When Yadathrin replied in the affirmative, Davinathe paused again, probably thinking hard, before replying, "Do not interrogate them about it. When they arrive in Gavarik, I will have Raquin Nahtavid's sister perform a DNA scan on one of them… then we shall see who they are and where they come from."

"What will you do if they are Helials?" asked Yadathrin.

"That remains to be seen," Davinathe answered evasively, but Raquin could hear the cunning smile in the foreign minister's words.

Davinathe then closed the line, but Raquin didn't. He browsed his communicator screen for channel numbers, scrolling down the list until he came to an encrypted wavelength only he and Temenir knew about. Selecting the wavelength, Raquin took his keypad and began typing in the codes until it was unlocked. As the communicator began beeping, Raquin stood and crossed his office to the door, which he bolted, just as a female voice answered, "Achtari Special Services, please state your name and purpose."

"Good morning, Delbadar," Raquin said cheerfully.

"Raquin?" He was delighted to hear the surprise in Delbadar's voice. "What are you doing on this line? You never use it!"

"I need to speak to Sadarin," Raquin told her as he took his seat. "It's important; there's been a new development, and I think he'll be very interested in this one."

********

For the Time Lord, telling the time of night wasn't much of a problem, although the Doctor supposed that a human who paid attention could work that out as well simply by watching for what few stars would appear in the only patch of sky that was visible in their window. After a day on this planet, the Doctor knew that a day on Cypnov was only slightly shorter than a day on Earth, and at roughly the equivalent of midnight, three stars in the formation of an obtuse triangle were visible from his narrow viewpoint, the long end pointing downward at the Sunitoth mountains, which were just barely visible on the horizon past the sandstone towers of Greyalden.

Even with technology not so very different from Earth technology, Radalan cities did not emit as much light during night as human cities; there was not as much light pollution, making the landscape seem more natural and more serene, quite a contrast with the repressed air that surrounded this place when the Sestati were up and about.

Watching what few stars he could and keeping track of the minutes and seconds often ended up being all the Doctor did during these hours. During the night hours on the Tardis, while his companions slept, the Doctor often made adjustments to the console, read in the library, or simply walked around the depths of the Tardis. But here, when he didn't rest his needed two hours of sleep, the Doctor sat on the bench and watching his companions sleep, but without anyone to talk to or anything to do, he generally spent those nights pacing around the cell quietly, or occasionally listening to muffled conversations outside their cell between the tired guards, always counting the minutes until daylight.

At that moment, however, the guards outside were completely silent, and the only movement was the occasional Neib, including one that had made its presence known by crawling onto the back of the Doctor's neck, causing him to start and brush it off while holding back the yelp which could wake his companions. The only sounds came from the occasional Halictid and Donna's light snores.

Since the arrest, Donna and Rose had spent ten minutes every evening arguing over who should get the bed. Thus far, these arguments had resulted in them alternating every night, and on this, the fourth night, Rose had gotten the bed. She lay on her back with her hair spread out, and her left arm resting on her stomach, and when the Doctor looked at her, his eyes were drawn to the stump where her hand should be.

She had shocked Donna the first night when, after undoing a catch on her metal wrist with her right hand, she gripped the hand and twisted it roughly. The hand came free of her arm in an instant, revealing the cybernetic stump which clearly served as an adaptor between nerve endings and electrical wires.

"What are you doing?" Donna had all but shrieked as Rose placed the detached hand on the floor.

The latter raised her eyebrows. "Oi, don't knock it!" she said coolly. "Would you be comfortable resting with a great lump of metal in your bed? And imagine taking a shower with it!"

The Doctor remembered Donna's stunned expression with amusement, but now and every night since then, he wondered, not for the first time, how Rose had lost her hand, but either she didn't remember herself, or she didn't want to talk about it. He wished there was more he could do for it, but it appeared that her hand was severed before she gained the Taledrevan regeneration cycle, because it clearly didn't recognize the existence of a left hand, so she couldn't grow another.

As the Doctor was lost in his reflections, Rose started muttering in her sleep, and the Doctor looked at her again warily. She didn't say anything discernable, but even with the limited light, the Doctor could see the sweat shining on her face, and her head kept twitching from side to side.

He sighed at her uneasy sleep, wondering if he should wake her, but there was no need; a moment later, Rose suddenly cried out and sat up.

"DOCTOR!"

Donna let out a loud snore, and Rose blinked for a minute as she took in her surroundings and remembered where she was. Then her eyes fell upon the Doctor, who was still seated on his bench, watching her sadly, wishing he could take away the memories that clearly still haunted her. Their eyes instantly met, and the Doctor held her gaze for a moment, but not knowing what he was trying to silently communicate. Whatever it was, however, Rose clearly was not ready to appreciate it. Her expression hardened, and she turned away from his sorrowful expression and lay back down without a word, facing the wall.

The Doctor closed his eyes, trying not to feel pain at her rejection of his sympathy, but at the same time, trying to understand it. After a moment, he reflected that it really was not so very different from himself, he supposed, just after the Time War, growing angry and defensive every time the war or his planet came up in a conversation.

Back then, he would not accept pity for his loneliness; neither was Rose yet able to accept a sympathetic ear for her pain.

********

Early the next morning, the door burst open, waking Rose and Donna and causing the Doctor, caught unawares, to jump. The same guard stood there, several others behind him, but he was not carrying food this time.

"Get up," he ordered Rose and Donna, who obeyed, both looking curious and a bit wary.

"What's going on?" the Doctor asked, but the guards did not reply. The first stepped out, and gestured for them to follow him. The Doctor stepped out first, and found himself facing Captain Sarjeth, the officer who had captured them.

"Follow me," Sarjeth said to him as Rose and Donna quitted the cell.

The Doctor frowned, but seeing no other alternative, what with them having no idea where the Tardis was and being surrounded by a heavily armed guard, he did as he was told.

It wasn't so bad this time, he reflected as the guards led them down the spiral staircase and into a lobby where only a few Sestati officers, and several of what the Doctor guessed were civilians appealing for the release of their loved ones, were present. The first time they were led through here, they had been blindfolded and cuffed, but the Doctor realized with some confusion that the Sestati hadn't taken those measures this time.

Both guards and civilians stared at the three humanoids being taken—no, _escorted_—out of the Sestati headquarters, and the Doctor supposed that they were departing early to avoid drawing a crowd of curious spectators. One of the civilians even backed away, his eyes wide and fin-like ears flared out in what was, for the Radalans, an expression of awe and fear.

But they did not remain in the lobby. The guards escorted the three of them out, not through the front door, but down a hallway which ended with a hangar, where there were several parked Halictids.

Sarjeth then stopped, and the guards each took hold of a prisoner's shoulder, holding them in place.

"Where are you taking us?" Rose asked Sarjeth.

Instead of replying, he shot her an annoyed look before telling the three of them, "It takes one hour to arrive at our destination. You three are not to sit next to each other during the trip. If you cooperate, you will not be harmed."

He made a gesture at the guards, and ten minutes later, the three of them were seated between two guards inside the Halictid as it rolled out of the hanger and onto a runway. As the engine roared into life, and the ornithopter ascended into the air, the Doctor felt great relief on being taken away from the Sestati headquarters, but of course, that relief was short-lived as he wondered where they were being taken, why they were being treated almost as guests in comparison with their arrival, and for what purpose.

The hour spent inside the Halictid was rather uneventful; the only sound was the engine, but this time the Doctor was able to occupy himself with a closer look at this piece of technology. He said it himself, ornithopters were not easy machines to put together, as opposed to the simpler airplane or even airships, but he supposed that Radalans, with their flight patterns, would think in terms of their own anatomy when designing such vehicles. It was really rather unsurprising, when one thought about it, that they created gliders and then flying vehicles before they created cars, which, Rose informed him at one point, were mostly used for cargo.

He only wished that the Halictid had windows, so he could see the landscape below.

This trip, even though it technically was twice as long as the first, did not seem so, but perhaps that was because this time, the Doctor, Rose, and Donna were not blindfolded or handcuffed, and they were at least able to look at each other. Then they felt the ornithopter descend at last, and the Doctor looked into the cockpit, where he could just see a runway. A moment later, the ornithopter lurched as it made contact with the concrete, and slowed once it was off the runway.

Five minutes later, they were led out of the Halictid, and the first thing they saw was a spectacular building, made up of sandstone walls, several wings, and a wide tower in the center; in an odd sort of way, it simultaneously reminded the Doctor of the Hagia Sophia and Angkor Wat.

A small, dark-blue automobile, designed somewhat like a golf cart, then appeared by the Halictid, driven by a wrinkled, elderly but official-looking Radalan, dressed in a dark-green tunic. The Sestati officers nudged their prisoners (if they could be called prisoners at this point) into the small car, and they obeyed, but this time only two officers and Sarjeth accompanied them.

"Where are we?" the Doctor asked Sarjeth, more or less repeating Rose's earlier question. This time, Sarjeth answered.

"This is Gavarik, the heart of Yaldego," Sarjeth informed him, "and that"—he indicated the enormous building before them—"is the palace of the Premier Warlord, Deljath Theletaos."

"You're taking us to your leader!" the Doctor said in a mock-delighted tone, causing Donna to roll her eyes.

Sarjeth merely bowed his head slightly in confirmation. "Lord Theletaos has been informed of your presence, and he is very interested in meeting you. The Foreign Minister Davinathe ordered your relocation to the palace early this morning."

"Where are we going to be staying?" asked Rose as she scrutinized the palace, looking bemused.

Sarjeth shrugged. "That is the decision of the Premier Warlord. From this point on, we are under his command."

Rose frowned contemplatively. "Am I allowed to make any requests once we arrive?"

Sarjeth looked at the driver, his expression neutral. The driver didn't look at Rose (although that could have been due to his attention to the road)) and grunted, "Depends what it is."

Rose shrugged. "I'd just like a look at some history books while I'm here."

In response, the driver simply said, "Minister Davinathe's orders were that you are to be treated not as prisoners, but as guests at this point."

This increased the Doctor's confusion, and judging by Rose and Donna's expressions, they were just as bewildered at this change. He supposed it was an improvement over watching prisoners being tortured at the Sestati headquarters, but it wasn't exactly reassuring either.

********

There was no other word for it. The Great Hall of the Pratethate, as Captain Sarjeth identified it, was magnificent. The high domed ceiling towered above them, silver bands lining sandstone panels painted red and gold, supported by brass pillars. The walls around them were decorated with historical paintings, depicting a burly, powerful-looking Radalan upon a Salesat, leading great Yaldegan battalions across landscapes of all climates, liberating cities and villages from barbaric tyrants.

The room was as wide as it was tall, and light shone into the room through stain-glass windows almost as high as the ceiling, filling the room with red sunlight, and gold chandeliers hung above them, bright gold light emanating from the thousand electric bulbs.

The Hall was occupied by dozens of Radalans, all dressed in tunics made of fine fabrics, ranging from all colors, or else they were soldiers wearing the typical gold synthetic armor of the Yaldegan army. The moment the Doctor, Rose, and Donna were led into the Hall, all eyes fell upon the humanoids, and the occupants all started murmuring to themselves in general astonishment. The Doctor caught snippets of conversation such as "So it is true!" or "Minister Davinathe wasn't jesting!"

He couldn't help but grin in amusement at the stunned atmosphere, even though, for all he knew, he and the others were in even greater danger than they'd been in at the Sestati headquarters. It vaguely reminded him of the base at Krop Tor, when he and Rose were first led to Zack and Ida's space mission and they were so astonished at their presence. True, that adventure hadn't exactly ended well, but he was delighted then and couldn't help but be pleased at their reception now.

Rose and Donna clearly didn't share the sentiment. Rose was closely scrutinizing the paintings on the wall, probably trying to discern what she could about the gap in her knowledge of Cypnovan history, and Donna looked extremely uncomfortable.

Then the Doctor caught sight of something that even someone new to this world could see was out of place: a creature was standing at the grand stairwell at the end of the hall, a radially symmetrical creature with pale blue skin, three arms, and three legs, staring with the Radalans at the newcomers, and the Doctor could see that the creature had three eyes as well.

Raising his eyebrows, he nudged Rose and pointed. "That's not from Cypnov."

Rose stared at it. "What's a Valdaran doing here?" she questioned out loud, and the Doctor looked back at the alien.

"You know as much as I do," he said, winking at her. "I take it they're another post-Helial civilization."

Rose nodded. "They come from a triple star system about twelve light years away."

"Well, apparently they've still got space technology," the Doctor said, smirking. "I'm not an expert, but I'll bet that he's a diplomat."

"It's a she," Rose corrected, smirking.

Before the Doctor could reply, a tall Radalan, almost as high as Yadathrin had been, appeared at the top of the staircase, dressed in a black toga and carrying a gold scepter, which he pounded on the floor, drawing the court's attention. The room fell silent as he raised the scepter into the air before making his announcement:

"His Lordship, Deljath Theletaos!"

********

**Please leave reviews! I'm a review junkie, I'm not ashamed to admit it!**

**Quote:**

**The Doctor: **

"**Time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guidebook. You gotta throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double, and end up kissing complete strangers! Or is that just me? Stop asking questions, just go and do it!"**

**[Pause.]**

**The Doctor:**

"**Off you go then. Your first date!"**

**Rose: **

"**You're gonna get a smack, you are!"**


	6. Chapter 6: Deljath Theletaos

Chapter 6

Deljath Theletaos

Donna stared as all eyes in the hall fell upon the top of the staircase, where a Radalan stood in a scarlet tunic, his head adorned with what looked like a black ushanka. He wore a gold rope tied around his waste, and he had flared his wings out, making himself look larger and more majestic. However, and though she was unfamiliar with these aliens, it only took a glance at the Premier Warlord for Donna to comprehend why he held himself thus, and why he surrounded himself with heavily-built officials; because he was hardly intimidating himself. As he descended the stairs, his eyes fixed on the three humanoids, Donna could see that Deljath Theletaos was smaller and skinnier than most of the other Radalans. In fact, his thinned-out feathers and small, sunken eyes made him look rather sickly.

He was accompanied by another Radalan dressed in a white toga and a mantilla—slightly taller than Deljath, but still smaller than other surrounding Radalans—with smaller ears and a thinner tail, and Donna was no expert, but she thought that this one might be female, though it was very hard to tell.

As they descended the stairs, followed closely by the Radalan who had announced them, Donna noticed Rose lean close to the Doctor, and barely heard the former whisper, "Keep his attention off me."

The Doctor turned to look at Rose in confusion. Donna was surprised too; though she had known Rose only for a few weeks, that timeframe, along with all she'd heard about Rose prior to their meeting, was enough to tell Donna that she was also a highly independent woman who disliked being shielded too much. Furthermore, Donna thought that Rose, as the expert on the Helials' former empire, would be the one working with them. However, they had not the time to dwell upon the matter. Donna could not see Rose's face, but she saw the Doctor scrutinize her for a moment, before giving a small nod and turning back just as Deljath reached the foot of the stairwell.

Deljath and the female, possibly his wife, did not stop until they were standing right in front of them. The Doctor quietly stepped forward, and there was a very uncomfortable silence as he and the Premier Warlord stared at each other. Then Deljath drew himself up (though this didn't improve his height much), and said to the Doctor, his voice remarkably calm, "You are Taledrevan?"

The Doctor smiled mysteriously. "I'm a Time Lord," he informed the Warlord.

If the surrounding court had been shocked by their presence before, this statement positively astounded them. Whispers filled the hall at the Doctor's revelation, and Deljath stepped backward with wide, astonished eyes. In the corner of her eye, Donna saw a Radalan wearing a dark green mantle lean forward for a better look, his mouth hanging open, and the three-legged alien (the Valdaran, as Rose identified it) step forward, squinting at them in interest.

Looking rather pleased with himself, the Doctor queried, "I take it you've heard of the Time Lords, then."

Deljath swallowed. "The Time Lords are repeatedly mentioned in the archives of Taledrevan imperial politics. The Helials sometimes spoke of you."

The Doctor snorted, and the Premier Warlord blinked. They stared at each other for a moment, before the Radalan in the black tunic, the announcer, stepped forward, and bowed his head in Deljath's direction for a moment, speaking in a low tone: "They denied being Taledrevan at Greyalden. We've already arranged for this."

Deljath started and glanced at the other, before saying hurriedly, "Yes, thank you, Davinathe." Glancing around the room, Deljath's eyes fell on the Radalan in the green mantle, and he called out, "Lord Nahtavid!"

Nahtavid stepped forward and gave a respectful bow.

"Your sister Temenir," Deljath said, "she has her equipment ready?"

Nahtavid straightened. "She is at your command."

Donna almost choked at Nahtavid's reply, but nobody noticed. Their attention was drawn to another female, presumably Temenir Nahtavid, who fluttered down from a rafter near the ceiling (for the first time, Donna noticed the Radalans seated on the rafters), carrying a small, hand-held device in her left hand which reminded Donna of a Tamagachi. As Temenir approached them, the Doctor glanced at Rose, who merely raised an eyebrow at him before slowly taking a step backwards. The Doctor frowned.

"Just a small blood sample," Temenir requested. "It won't harm you."

The Doctor nodded, and rolled up his sleeve. Temenir took his wrist and pressed the device into his forearm. He winced slightly as it gave a small click, and Temenir drew back, shaking the metal device gently. She then reached into the folds of her blue toga and withdrew a larger, similar metal device, which looked like a small computer which she fitted the blood sample into. As they all waited in tense silence for Temenir to give the results, Donna leaned toward Rose.

"What was that about?" she whispered. "Why did you tell the Doctor to draw their attention? You're the expert here."

Rose pressed a finger to her lips. "I'll explain later."

At that moment, Temenir lowered the scanner and glanced at her brother before turning to Deljath.

"Well?" the latter asked, his feathery brows furrowed.

"He is not Taledrevan," she informed them. "Aside from external appearance, they are nothing like any life form in our archives."

"As I said," the Doctor told them, "Time Lord."

The hall buzzed with whispers again, and Davinathe slammed the scepter into the tile floor, signaling for the spectators to remain silent. Deljath's eyes moved from the Doctor to his companions.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Who are any of you?"

The Doctor smiled. "Straight to the point, aren't you? I'm the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler"—Rose nodded respectfully to Deljath—"and this is Donna Noble."

Deljath merely glanced at Rose and Donna, but the latter was watching Davinathe instead, who was scrutinizing all three of them in turn. Donna felt unnerved by his gray eyes. She'd thought Colonel Yadathrin's eyes were disquieting, but Davinathe's gaze made her want to back into a corner.

In response to the Doctor's introductions, Deljath turned and indicated the other female, who had been standing by silently. "My wife, Lady Aervanyn."

As the Doctor bowed his head to Aervanyn deferentially, Deljath continued, "You speak for your people, Doctor?"

The Doctor's smile became very fixed. "You could say that."

Deljath and Davinathe looked at each other. There was a very pregnant pause, and Deljath turned back to the Doctor.

"You are all very welcome guests," he told them courteously. He looked at Temenir. "Lady Nahtavid, show them to my finest guest chamber, and send them refreshment when they are settled."

Temenir bowed. "As you wish."

As she turned to lead them out of the hall, Deljath added, "I should like to become better acquainted with the three of you. Do I ask too much to request that you come to my office after dinner this evening?"

The Doctor glanced at Rose, who said, "Not at all. You are very kind."

Donna nearly choked again; the memory of the Sestati Headquarters made this too ironic. But at that moment, Temenir and Captain Sarjeth (who had been standing to respectful attention throughout the exchange, not saying a word) escorted them up the stairs. Glancing back down at Deljath and Aervanyn, Donna noticed Davinathe lean in to the former, both of them whispering to each other. But she had not time to watch them, because at that moment Temenir led them to their right, and they found themselves in a small corridor, lit by smaller chandeliers and decorated with portraits of what Donna thought were probably previous Premier Warlords.

"You may return to your post," Temenir told Sarjeth. "I can handle them on my own."

Sarjeth merely gave a curt nod and disappeared back down the stairs. The Doctor smiled when Sarjeth was out of earshot, and said, "Well, that's him gone. No loss."

As Temenir led them down the hallway, Rose asked her, "What's going on?"

Temenir shot her a strange look. "I should be the one asking you that." She turned left and they followed her down another narrow hallway. Temenir then stopped and opened a door to the right, and showed them into a large room with a domed ceiling. There were several large cushions on the floor, several bookshelves, and two beds in a corner.

Temenir stood as the three of them looked around the room. "I can send for a makeshift bed," she told them. "This is one of the most superb guest chambers we have, and for the time being, it's yours, so make yourselves at home." She indicated the bookshelves. "That's a collection of some of our finest pieces of literature and histories…"

"Oh good; I was going to ask about that," Rose told her, as she lowered herself onto one of the cushions beside a low table which held a bowl filled with red-orange fig-shaped fruits.

"And there's a very fine view of the sea from that balcony." Temenir nodded towards a glass door at the opposite side of the room.

"Thank you, it is a very pleasant room," Donna said to her. Temenir nodded, smiling slightly.

"I shall send for some refreshments…" She paused, and scrutinized them for a moment. "I don't suppose you eat the same diet that the Helials did?"

The Doctor and Donna glanced at Rose, who thought for a moment, before telling Temenir, "Anything that doesn't have Genthakl juice or Daliar seeds in it should be fine."

Temenir nodded and picked up the fruit bowl. "I'll take this away then," she said, "and I'll give instructions to the cooking staff. Lord Theletaos will send for you when he wants to meet you. Have you any questions?"

Rose nodded. "Have you got any decent history books?"

Temenir stared at her. "That's a rather odd request."

Rose merely shrugged. Temenir put down the fruit bowl and turned to look at the bookshelf. After surveying the contents, she asked, "Any time period or specific place?"

"Anything that covers the past seven hundred years."

Temenir turned back to the bookshelf. As she did, Donna glanced at Rose curiously to see her lean back on the enormous cushion and glance at the table beside her; then she thought she saw Rose go very still. A moment later, Temenir returned carrying a thin volume with a black cover from the shelf. She handed it to Rose.

"That contains a good summary," she told Rose.

The Doctor smiled at Temenir. "You are an avid reader?"

"It's good to know your history," shrugged Temenir, "and besides, I've always enjoyed stories."

She picked up the fruit bowl again. "If there's anything else you need, just send for me."

She then quitted the room. The Doctor and Donna stared after her, but Rose had already seated herself on one of the cushions, opened the black book and started flipping through its pages. She didn't get far, however, before the Doctor sat down next to her.

"Go on, then," he said to her. "Why'd you…"

But the Doctor's question was cut off as Rose quickly pressed a finger to her lips, gesturing for them to be silent. As he and Donna stared at her curiously, Rose slowly reached under the table from which Temenir had removed the fruit bowl, and then withdrew her metal hand, showing them a small black device. Leaning forward, the others saw that it was pentagonal in shape, and not much larger than a thumbnail, but it was unmistakably a microphone.

********

A few hours after the Time Lords' visit to the Great Hall of the Pratethate, Raquin Nahtavid slowly wandered down a path through the gardens, watching Verkata set behind the palace. He loved this path; the woods and gardens near the palace, which lay south of the city, were large and expansive. Traditionally they were an artificial hunting ground for the Pratethate Warlords, although Deljath's poor health prevented him from ever pursuing the sport. Instead, the gardens were frequented by the warlords and overlords as they attended to the Premier, and the woods served as a favorite site for the aristocracy to ride Salesats in summer afternoons. The woods also were a favorite site to visit, if one didn't want to be overheard.

Raquin glanced around, and saw that the only person in the vicinity was a gardener, who's back was turned. He then quietly ran down the path and disappeared into the trees. The woods were very dark at sunset, which better served his purpose. Turning around, Raquin watched the gardener bend over a mivik bush and begin pruning its branches.

A moment later, he heard footsteps behind him, in a pattern of four, the unmistakable sound of a Salesat. Raquin turned expectantly, and a moment later a black Salesat appeared on the path, bearing a rider in the navy-blue tunic of the palace footmen.

"Good evening, Ytrein," he greeted in a quiet but clear voice.

Ytrein dismounted the Salesat, tied its reigns to a low branch, and returned the greeting. "Evening, Raquin. I'm glad you were able to make it. You're certain we won't be overheard here?"

"Positive. I've been at the palace long enough to know what places are safe. Since Dajna's capture, Davinathe has had listening systems installed in almost every room there."

"But don't you contact Sadarin from your office?"

"Deljath's trusted me ever since I 'rescued' his wife from a brief insurgence six months ago (I'm sure you remember the incident). My chambers were not bugged, special favor from him. Poor, gullible idiot. Still, it's not worth the risk for you to sneak into my office."

Raquin started walking down the path, leading Ytrein deeper into the woods. They didn't speak for quite some time, until a few minutes later, the area around them was so dark that Raquin barely could see his hands. They stood in silence for several more minutes, until Raquin spoke up.

"I assume that Sadarin has a message for me."

There was no reply, and Raquin supposed that Ytrein had nodded, but it was very hard to tell.

"Well, get on with it," he said. "We don't have all night."

"Sadarin is very interested in the three Helials that Yadathrin captured last week."

"I know that," Raquin hissed impatiently. "And they're not Helials. Turns out that they're Time Lords."

"I already know," Ytrein said, his voice also impatient. "I was in the Hall of the Pratethate when they were introduced to Theletaos."

Raquin was surprised. "You were? How'd you pull that off?"

Ytrein snorted. "I've been wearing this uniform all afternoon. I bribed one of the footmen into a match this morning, he bet his uniform, and you see the result. I then slipped into the hall shortly before the gathering."

Raquin had to suppress a laugh.

"Anyway," the other continued, "I thereupon slipped out after your sister showed the Time Lords to your room, and slipped a message to Sadarin. I haven't received his reply yet."

Raquin sighed. "But you know what he wants to do with regard to the aliens."

"Yes." There was a pause. "I don't know if you've heard, but a few weeks ago, a spy in Greyalden got some information to base concerning some top-secret activity going on somewhere south of said city… you know, near the oil rigs. Coincidentally, that area is rather close to the place where Yadathrin captured the aliens."

"What sort of activity?"

"We're not certain, but I am told it is of a technological nature. Apparently only a small piece of the science involved reached us, but it was of a nature that bewildered all our scientists. Even Delbadar was clueless."

Raquin raised his eyebrows. "Now _that_ is saying something. What else is there to know?"

"_Etalih Innai._"

Raquin froze, remembering the scrap of paper he'd found the night of Lord Divathan's death.

"We think it's a code name for whatever they're working on."

"But what's this got to do with the Time Lords?" asked Raquin.

He heard Ytrein sigh. "If I know Sadarin, his orders with regards to the aliens will not change on the basis of their species, because the Time Lords surely know as much about technology as Helials would." He paused. "You're in a better position than I to make this mission possible: Sadarin has ordered me to abduct one of the Time Lord aliens and bring them to Capharon."

********

**Sorry about updating so late. For a couple of weeks I had to devote my time to writing a fourteen-page research paper, and after that I didn't feel like writing anything for a week. **

**Fanfiction writers can't be paid in money, so we are paid in reviews. Please leave some. Please do!**

**Quote of the day:**

"**Thanks then. Oh, what's that?"**

"**My telephone number."**

"**What for?"**

"**Health and Safety. You be Health, I'll be Safety."**


	7. Chapter 7: Shadows

Chapter 7

Shadows

Twenty minutes after she left, Temenir returned to the guest chamber with a tray of what looked like strange vegetable rolls, to inform the newcomers that Deljath had invited them to dinner later that evening.

"The cooking staff has received instructions for your diet, so you do not need to worry," she informed them.

"Who's going to be there?" asked Rose. "Just us and the royal family?"

"There will be several overlords there including my brother Raquin," Temenir told them. "I believe two of the Valdaran diplomats will also be in attendance."

Rose nodded. She'd wondered about the presence of the tripedal aliens ever since the Doctor noticed them in the Great Hall, and she looked forward to meeting them.

Temenir surveyed the three of them with narrowed eyes, before asking, "Do you three know much about Yaldegan tradition?" When she saw their blank looks, she snorted. "Not to worry. I asked that because this dinner is going to be given in the traditional etiquette… and some things have changed in the past few hundred years. If I were you, I'd just watch and imitate. It's what the Valdarans did, and they learned rather quickly."

"When are we expected for this dinner?" asked the Doctor.

"Early this evening," she told him. "I'll come and collect you when it is time."

"Thank you." Rose stood as Temenir began to exit again. "We shall be ready."

Temenir bowed her head curtly, set the tray of rolls down, and quitted the room. Rose glanced at the others (Donna had sunk onto one of the cushions and was eyeing the vegetable rolls skeptically), and the Doctor's gaze fell upon the bookshelf curiously. Then Rose examined the black book Temenir had given her, and after a glance at the balcony, she decided that it would be a nice quiet spot.

As she left the room, she heard Donna comment, "They could do with some chairs in here."

The Doctor replied, "I think that the Radalans traditionally kneel on the floor… and whatever their technology is, they appear to rather like tradition."

As Rose stepped onto the wooden balcony (the wood, like the pages of the book in her hands, was made of the greenish Genthakl wood), she reflected on the Doctor's comment. Were it not for the electrical lighting and the quality of the air conditioning, a glance at the palace and other buildings would lead some to presume that the Radalans were still in a primitive lifestyle.

Not traditional enough, she noted smilingly, that they would forsake chairs completely; one lay in the corner of the balcony, and Rose drew it closer to the rail so she'd be able to get a better view of the sea that stretched out before her. However, when she sat down, a movement in the corner in her eye drew her attention to the beach, and placing the book down, she stood and leaned onto the rail, her eyes fixed on a point which she'd estimate was about five hundred yards distant. There she could see a battalion of Yaldegan soldiers, dressed in blue tunics and black vests, marching across the beach, a gold kevlar-armored commander on a Salestat barking out indistinguishable orders to them. As Rose watched, the soldiers lined up along the beach, and then at a command from their commander, began running up the beach. As they did, another battalion appeared uphill from them, moving downward a few feet before all bent down behind rocks or bushes. Occasionally a soldier in either battalion would drop and lie on the ground unmoving. Rose couldn't see any guns, but she suspected that they were using low-intensity lasers to simulate a battle.

Rose supposed that it was possible that the war game she was watching was nothing more than training (even when the Helials ruled Cypnov, Yaldego was home to one of Cypnov's most formidable militaries), but given what she'd seen of the obvious tension in the nation, it was just as possible that they had stumbled into a military conflict, and certainly more likely.

Glancing back at the door into their chamber, Rose felt a twinge of guilt for dragging the Doctor and Donna into this still-unknown situation with her. When she had given the Doctor coordinates, he'd insisted on remaining with her on Cypnov until she was well settled (and now, given the situation, she could see his point), but even if Rose had refused to accept this, they still had no idea where the Sestati had taken the Tardis; for all they knew, it was probably still in Greyalden, and until the Yaldegans saw fit to give the Tardis back to the Doctor, he and Donna were stuck here.

But, she reflected, giving some alleviation to her conscience, perhaps they could persuade Deljath Theletaos to return the Tardis to them at dinner tonight.

********

As the sun set, Raquin wandered slowly around the gardens, his thoughts on the conversation he'd just had in the woods. Grateful as he was that the woods and gardens near the palace were not bugged, unlike most rooms inside, he half wished that Ytrein had not turned up. Sadarin's cause was just, and in order to avoid provoking Davinathe's suspicion that Raquin, as the overlord of Achtari, was connected with the rebellion at all, he'd had to remain at the palace for his term of attendance indefinitely after leading the Premier Warlord to believe that the insurgents had driven him from Capharon.

This ruse had been successful, and Raquin's cover had not been compromised, but the disadvantage was that he had to carefully communicate new developments in secret with other spies rather than speak to Sadarin directly, now that he no longer was able to say that he had business in Achtari when departing. And now Ytrein had made Raquin's situation more difficult by imposing him with a new mission: to capture one of the Time Lord guests. Such a feat would not be easy, because though the Time Lords probably were not aware of it yet, they would be kept under maximum surveillance. Raquin had no evidence, but he suspected that Theletaos and Davinathe had reasons for accommodating their guests that had little to do with curiosity… possibly for the same reason Sadarin wanted them captured: their knowledge of technology could benefit both the rebels and the Yaldegan military.

He didn't need to fear the Time Lords leaving; if Davinathe wanted their assistance with this "Etalih Innai" project, then he would keep them cut off from the ship they'd arrived in, containing them in Gavarik. But he knew that he had one chance to complete his mission successfully, because his cover could be blown and the Time Lords would be constantly protected.

With a sigh, Raquin pulled his watch from a pocket in his tunic, and swore loudly when he saw that his rendezvous with Ytrein had taken more time than he'd expected. Running quickly to gather momentum, he unfurled his wings and took flight, heading for an open window on the second floor, and hoping he'd be able to be only a couple of minutes late for Lord Deljath's dinner.

********

_After his victory against the Evanyn battalions on the Cattisian Plain, Pratethan's armies then turned to Kathalin, where the Evanyn overlord prepared for siege. For Pratethan, it was the defeat of the Evanyn dynasty, or all would be for nothing, but Kathalin was a large, well-guarded and well-protected city. For two weeks the generalissimo met with Yaldegan and Brazan generals, occasionally sending scouts and probes to analyze the city and put together a strategy. Meanwhile, the Cattisian armies—_

A loud rap on the door drew Rose's attention from her book. It had been several hours since their welcome at the palace, and having spent that time reading the short history of Yaldego which Temenir had given her (when she wasn't in conversation with the Doctor and Donna), Rose had begun to come to an understanding of the Cypnovan situation. But as Verkata began to set, she'd had to withdraw from her quiet spot on the balcony to the chamber.

The Doctor, who had been messing around with a Cypnovan computer set up on the writing desk, stood and crossed the room to answer the door. As expected, Temenir entered the room for the third time that day, and Rose got up from the cushions as Dona entered from the balcony, where it appeared she had been watching the sunset.

"Dinner is served?" the Doctor asked pleasantly.

Temenir nodded. "You three are prepared?" Without waiting for an answer, she beckoned for them to follow her back down the route she had taken them earlier. When they reached the grand staircase, Rose noticed that the Great Hall was now empty, but for a few servants. Earlier that day, Rose knew that the Doctor had gone out to examine the murals painted there, but she had stayed in their room to continue reading.

From the top of the stairwell, Temenir led them to their right, further into the palace, into a much fancier hallway, so richly adorned with decorations and furniture pieces that Donna remarked, "Very posh. This is worse than Buckingham Palace."

"Or Versailles," the Doctor said, which caused Rose to let out a disdainful snort, but she chose not to comment. At that moment, Temenir turned a corner, from which they faced a double door. This she opened, and upon entering, gave a short bow.

"The Doctor, Donna Noble, and Rose Tyler, my lord," she announced.

The dining room was not enormously large (though Rose suspected this was not the main one); it was large enough to accommodate perhaps fifteen diners, but only seven were present: Lord Theletaos, Lord Ferjhaal Davinathe, Lady Aervanyn, two Valdarans, and two unknown Radalan lords. They all knelt on pads on the floor, around a round table about six feet in diameter, which was only about two feet in height. Upon their entry, Lord Theletaos rose and, supposing it to be a polite greeting, Rose and the Doctor both bowed to him. Donna immediately followed suit.

If this was not the correct mode of greeting, Lord Theletaos gave no hint of it. "Doctor," he greeted. "I hope your accommodations in the guest chambers are adequate?"

"They are very pleasant," the Doctor told him. "Thanks for the refreshments you had Temenir send us."

Rose refrained from laughing, and Donna scowled. All three of them had tried the vegetable rolls Temenir had brought them. The Doctor had liked them, and Rose had thought them a bit salty, and certainly unlike most Earth foods, but not at all unpleasant. Donna, however, had gagged the moment she nibbled the end off one and tossed the remainder from the balcony.

Lord Theletaos nodded at the Doctor's polite reply, and then gestured to three unoccupied cushions on the floor between Lord Davinathe and one of the Valdarans. Rose knelt on the cushion by the Valdaran, while the Doctor sat next to Lord Davinathe, and Donna in the middle. As Rose took her spot, the Valdaran extended a hand with two thumbs and a single middle finger.

As Rose hesitantly grasped the Valdaran's hand, the latter introduced herself: "Kabid Kaelis Dalbid. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am, but you need no introduction. I was there in the Great Hall this morning."

Rose smiled. "I know. I saw you there."

"Miss Dalbid is an ambassador from Valdar," Lady Aervanyn told them. "Do you know where it is?" 

"The first planet in orbit around the star Nimelabos, which in turn orbits a larger star, Kavena," Rose said easily. "There is a third, smaller star in orbit around both stars, Sedarr, which is about twelve light years distant from Cypnov."

Kabid looked surprised. "You certainly know your star maps."

Before Rose could reply, the door opened again and Raquin Nahtavid entered hastily, pausing only to give a short bow to Theletaos, who started at the sudden entry.

"Lord Nahtavid," the latter remarked once he recovered himself. "You are a little late."

"You'll forgive me, sir," Raquin said, sounding short of breath. "I was out in the garden and lost track of time. Your gardens are very pleasant to walk in at this time if day."

Theletaos nodded, and gestured that Raquin take his place next to Lady Aervanyn, directly across from Donna. That done, several servants entered, carrying trays with beaker-like cups and what looked like a tall, cylindrical teakettle. Rose stared as the servants passed out the cups and began filling them with an olive-green beverage, and she glanced at Kabid, who leaned in and whispered, "Traditionally, formal dinners such as this begin with a tea ceremony, normally with Genthakl tea, but seeing as that would be lethal to us and to you three, they're serving an infusion of chavial leaves as an alternative."

Once everyone had been served, they appeared to wait as Lord Theletaos and Lady Aervanyn began drinking the chavial tea.

"The lord and lady of the house drink first," explained Kabid, still whispering, "then the lord looks up at the company, in essence requesting that they join him and his wife in the ceremony."

Sure enough, a moment later Lord Theletaos raised his eyes to meet those of his guests, and the others took their cups and drank too. After taking a hesitant sip, Rose thought it tasted oddly like sweetened parsley, but as was the case with the vegetable rolls earlier, it was not unpleasant. A glance at Donna told her that, unlike earlier, however, she liked the chavial tea as well.

A moment later, the servants, including Temenir, returned and placed several dishes on the table: a large pan filled with sliced meat (Rose hoped it wasn't Salesat); a bowl filled with strangely-colored sliced vegetables; a salad of blue-green and red leaves, and a dish with a stack of crackers that looked like raw Ramen noodles. The teakettle was placed in the center of the table.

As the meal began, Lord Theletaos, after serving himself some of the meat and vegetables, turned his attention to the Doctor. "So, he said, spearing one of the vegetables with a two-pronged fork, "tell us about your world, sir."

Donna and Rose looked at the Doctor, expecting him to stiffen, but to their surprise, he didn't react with the same unwillingness to speak of Gallifrey as usual. Instead, he merely raised his eyebrows and casually asked, "What do you want to know?"

"Just a general outlook," Lord Theletaos answered. "Is it a dry planet like Edre, tropical like Valdar; what color the sky is, the largest cities…?"

"Why does Lord Theletaos always ignore us?" Donna irritably asked Rose quietly.

Rose smirked. "Patriarchal society, I suspect. Just be glad he does… or have you ever set foot on Gallifrey?"

"We could describe Earth instead, pretending it's Gallifrey," Donna shot back, but her eyes had widened in realization. Rose glanced around the table, making sure nobody had heard their comments. She believed it was to their advantage that the Radalans apparently believed her and Donna to be Time Lords as well as the Doctor (she wasn't certain how they'd react otherwise, especially if they discovered her connection to the Helials), so she decided not to correct their assumption.

In answer to Theletaos's inquiries, the Doctor answered, "Gallifrey is located in Mutter's Spiral. I don't suppose you know where…?"

He looked around and his voice trailed off as he saw the others' dumbfounded expressions. Rose stifled a snigger. Turning to look at her, the Doctor asked loudly, "Rose, what do they call Mutter's Spiral here?"

"The Gatifeth Spiral," she replied, smiling behind her teacup.

The second Valdaran diplomat swallowed, and said in amazement, "But that's sixty-seven million light years from here!"

"We've got very good transport," the Doctor told him vaguely.

Rose was only amazed that the Valdaran knew which galaxy, out of millions, they referred to. "What was your name?" she asked him.

"Nehmet Gavid Metovon, ma'am," he told her.

"Nehmet loves astronomy more than diplomacy," Kabid informed Rose, sounding amused, "nonetheless, we greatly value his skills at both."

Rose nodded at Nehmet, but turned her attention back to Lord Theletaos when she heard the Doctor interrupt, "Talking of transport, may I ask what became of mine?" 

Theletaos raised an eyebrow. "Leaving so soon?"

Rose shook her head. "Not at all, your lordship, but it is prudent for the Doctor to know this prior to the time he'll need to depart, so he can better arrange his plans here. I am also certain it would be an ease to any discomfort he feels."

Theletaos turned to Lord Davinathe, who asked the Doctor, "Do you speak of the blue box?"

The Doctor looked impressed. "You really are a clever lot, aren't you?"

"I believe that the blue box is currently kept under maximum security at Greyalden," Davinathe told him in an apologetic tone.

"Then may I ask that it be delivered here?" the Doctor asked as he cut a piece from the meat Lord Davinathe had served him.

"Not before we ask you a favor," Theletaos told him.

The room fell silent, and the Doctor raised an eyebrow in turn. "What does that mean?" he asked politely.

Shooting Theletaos an alarmed look, Davinathe interjected, "The Premier Warlord means that we would love it if you, as our guest, would allow us to show you the best of our planet before you leave."

Rose narrowed her eyes. To the naïve, the Warlord's plea for them to stay, and Davinathe's explanation sounded acceptable. She, however, did not miss Davinathe's alarm at Theletaos's statement, and was not slow to realize that both warlords had just deliberately stranded the Doctor and Donna here for an unknown reason, probably until the Doctor granted Theletaos this "favor" he just mentioned. Davinathe's statement sounded like a cover up for something Theletaos had almost let slip, and a quick glance around the table told Rose that she was not the only person who caught it; Lord Nahtavid had given a small twitch, and Kabid had rolled her three eyes while Nehmet glanced between Lord Theletaos and the Doctor, frowning slightly.

The rest of the dinner was rather uneventful. Theletaos continued asking about Gallifrey, and the Doctor asked a few questions (only vaguely answered) about Cypnov in return. Rose and Donna, however, spent time in conversation with the Valdarans, who turned out to be very interesting people.

It seemed that Valdar, one of the better-treated colonies in the time of Taledrevan occupation, was quicker to recover from the Helials' abandonment of their empire than many other colonies. The Valdarans quickly re-established contact with the Ethreans from Edre (only four light years distant), and set up a trade agreement in order to accelerate recovery from said occupation. Thus far, it had been successful, and in the last twenty years, Valdar had gained sufficient economy to seek out other civilizations.

Kabid, who was fluent in several Cypnovan languages, including that of Yaldego, was therefore sent to Cypnov as part of an act by the Valdaran high council to locate all neighboring planets, in particular former Taledrevan colonies, and possibly set up trade routes if not a few alliances. She'd first arrived at her destination twenty years ago, and Rose wondered if contact with the Valdarans was not related to Cypnov's problems in some way. She'd thought that Kabid had been unable to tell them more before the dinner ended.

Apparently Kabid thought so too, because about half an hour after Rose, the Doctor, and Donna returned to their chamber, they heard a light rap on the door, and Kabid, without waiting for them to answer, entered the room.

"I hope that I'm not interrupting anything," she said quickly.

"Not at all," the Doctor said as Rose and Donna stood. Kabid hesitated, and her eyes strayed to the cushions.

"May I?" she asked, as she took a seat next to Donna, who shrugged. She then looked from the Doctor and Rose, standing nearby, to Donna next to her. "You know, I always thought that the Time Lords were some Taledrevan legend," she said. 

The Doctor scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well…"

"And you merely came here out of curiosity?"

Rose shrugged. "Something like that."

Kabid smiled slightly. "You three are as secretive as anyone here." She then looked pointedly at the book in Rose's hands. "Trying to learn what's happened to Cypnov in recent centuries?"

Looking slightly surprised, Rose replied that she was.

"I read that exact book when I first arrived," Kabid told her. "My arrival here was the first trip to Cypnov any of my people had made for five hundred years. We had our own problems back home, as I told you at dinner, most of which have now been resolved."

Rose nodded, and they all fell silent. Then Kabid spoke again. "Lord Theletaos meant it, you know."

"What do you mean?" asked Donna hesitantly.

"Given what I've seen, he wouldn't be half so interested in you three were it not for the current situation," Kabid explained. "How much do you know about it?"

"Not much," the Doctor admitted. "We were stuck in Greyalden for the past few days, weren't we?"

Kabid sighed. "I don't know if you're aware of it, but Yaldego is very nearly at war with Capharon and Broma."

_That's explains the war games I watched earlier,_ Rose thought, as she sat on a cushion next to Kabid. She glanced at the table, remembering the microphone to be there. She hoped that Kabid was aware that they'd been bugged and therefore wouldn't let anything slip.

"What are they?" asked Donna, referring to Capharon and Broma.

"Two nations across the sea from here."

Rose frowned. "I thought Capharon was just a geographical name, not a political state."

Kabid smiled slightly. "You're exactly like me when I first arrived here: clueless. How far have you gotten in that black book?"

Rose glanced down. "As far as Pratethan Velathin's conquest of Kathalin."

"I can explain the rest, if you want."

The Doctor and Donna looked at Rose. "Who's Pratethan Velathin?" asked Donna.

Rose glanced at Kabid, and then explained, "Almost seven hundred years ago, just before they left, the Helials strategically redrew the borders of most of the Cypnovan nation-states, with the purpose of keeping the whole of Cypnov in a weak state, in almost constant civil war."

"That was nothing new," Kabid said sadly. "The Helials did this to most of their former colonies. Back on Valdar, the global government is of the opinion that this is evidence that the Helials mean to return. Carving up the planets makes reconquest easier, you see."

The Doctor snorted. "Typical."

"In order to enforce these borders, the Helials placed a despot, Toelan Evanyn, in general power," Rose continued, "but, of course, the Evanyn dynasty rapidly lost power because those same borders and the resulting catastrophe paralyzed them."

"But the Helials did not count on Yaldego, (which had always had a powerful military) rising back to prestige at as rapid a rate as it did," Kabid told them as Rose paused to gather her thoughts. "The other nations were all fighting each other, and they had the Evanyn despots hanging over their shoulder, making matters worse."

"Four hundred years ago," added Rose, "a general of the Yaldegan militia, Pratethan Velathin, emerged victorious over the insurgents in this nation, and placed Yaldego under martial law with himself as the first Premier Warlord. He then lent assistance to Brazim (a neighboring state north of here) in resolving their own internal conflicts, guaranteeing their allegiance. Once Pratethan constructed this alliance, he carefully conspired against the Evanyn dynasty (who were located in Cattis)."

"Hold on, is Pratethan that fellow depicted in those murals we saw?" asked Donna.

Kabid nodded, gesturing at nothing. "You can hear the name, can't you? The Great Hall of the _Pratethate_… This was the palace he built after he and the Brazims successfully overthrew the Evanyn dynasty."

"So I gathered," Rose said, looking at the book. "But that's as far as I got. So once he overthrew the dynasty, he set up this regime of warlords?" 

"I was as surprised as you when I first arrived on Cypnov," Kabid said. "Yaldego once was a powerful republic. This is quite a change, but you see, Pratethan continued after he overthrew the Evanyns, conquering one nation after another, or allying with one nation after another. Basically, he unified Cypnov."

"And now?" asked Rose.

"Well, in his time, in order to exert control over the other nations, Pratethan redrew the borders again to lessen the divides (Capharon is one of the states he created), then created the warlord system, placing his most loyal officers in charge of each nation as overlords, with Yaldego as the basic police of the planet. If the other states pay tribute to Yaldego, the Yaldegan military in turn will resolve any internal conflicts and capture any native fugitives who might have escaped into another nation. In order to keep a close watch on all the warlords and overlords, Pratethan established a mandatory attendance system in which all warlords and overlords are required to live in Gavarik every other year."

"Like the shogunate," the Doctor said to Rose with a smirk.

Rose raised an eyebrow at him. "I take it you're referring to when you_ tried_ to take me to see the Tambora eruption in 1815, and instead we landed in Edo in 1640? That was bad driving if I ever saw bad driving."

"Edo is a place from your world?" asked Kabid curiously before the Doctor could retort, just as Donna asked, "Where in 1640?"

The Doctor nodded to Kabid, and then added to Donna in amusement, "It's called Tokyo now. And hey, you got to experience early modern Japanese history, Rose. It was worthwhile…"

"…until that daimyo Inoue tried to make me his concubine, and Tokugawa Iemitsu almost had _you_ dumped headfirst into Mt. Unzen," Rose retorted. She then turned her attention back to Kabid. "So why is Yaldego almost at war with Capharon?"

"Capharon always was a rival to Yaldego in terms of global power, prior to Pratethan's rise to power," Kabid explained. "They also suffered immensely at Pratethan's hands, and have never forgotten it. They're also culturally and ethnically different from the Yaldegans, which doesn't help matters." She hesitated. "There's also financial matters, and it is partially Valdar's fault. I'm not afraid to admit that."

"What do you mean?" asked Donna curiously.

"I successfully opened up trade when I first arrived here," she said, "and the Ethreans (who, due to their dry planet, are ever in need of water) discovered that they could purchase water on Cypnov for a third of the amount that their other trade partners. Shortly after that, the Pratethate staunched this financial hemorrhage by bringing water in line with Valdar's standards. Doing so expanded the money supply…"

"Which, in its turn, causes inflation," the Doctor finished.

"I believe there's another factor, which made things worse," Kabid continued, looking wearily. "Technologies which are rare and expensive on Cypnov, but commonplace on Edre and Valdar, began being imported here for much smaller prices than one can buy from Cypnovan industries. That put a lot of Cypnovan producers out of business."

"In short, the whole of Cypnov is in a recession," groaned the Doctor. "Let me guess… the rebellion starts in Capharon, but soon spreads all across the planet, and in order to hide its weakness, the Pratethate becomes more repressive, which, in its turn, causes more anger and more insurrection."

"You are very good at this," Kabid said in amazement.

"The shogunate, ma'am, the shogunate," the Doctor said humorlessly.

"And now?" asked Rose.

"You hang around studying the Pratethate as long as I have," Kabid said, "and you know in an instant that on this planet, it is highly illegal for a single Cypnovan state to establish an alliance with another. It's a threat to Yaldegan sovereignty, you see… and two months ago Capharon and Broma did just that. If turns out that Capharon officially has done so for the rebellion, then they'll have provoked an all-out war with Yaldego."

"Is that what they suspect?" asked the Doctor in amazement.

"You met Lord Nahtavid, correct?" asked the Valdaran. "He's an overlord from Capharon, whom Lord Theletaos appears to trust, and he recently was driven from his domain by the rebels." She stood as the strange clock on the wall emitted a soft _ding!_. "Capharon's militia did nothing to help him subdue them."

She glanced at the clock. "I'd best be going now," she said. "I hope that this was helpful to you three."

"It was," said Rose. "Thank you."

Kabid nodded, and made to depart. Before she did, however, she paused at a table by the door, onto which she placed a scrap of light-green paper, before bidding them good night and quitting the room.

Curious, the Doctor, still standing, crossed the room and picked up the note. After scanning it he returned and passed it to Rose with raised eyebrows.

_If you three need to talk without someone listening to your conversation, I'd recommend the gardens and woods. There are no listening devices installed there. _

********

Lord Theletaos had, during his dinner party with the Valdarans and the "Time Lords", told his guests that as guests, they were free to go anywhere in the gardens, galleries or libraries during their sojourn at the palace, so early the next morning, curious about Kabid's tip about the woods, Rose left a note for the Doctor and Donna before venturing outside, stopping only to ask a footman for directions to the gardens.

When they'd arrived at the Pratethate, they'd only been able to see the runway they'd landed on, and until this morning, Rose had had no idea of the size and variety of the park surrounding the palace. Because of Eve of the Eternal's database, Rose knew the names of many of the plants she saw outside, but with or without that knowledge grafted onto her memory, she was stunned by the size and elegance of the gardens. _At least one of the Pratethate Warlords had good taste_, she thought as she stared all around the many paths through bushes and fountains. It was well arranged and clearly not lacking in care and attention; even as she looked, Rose could see a few gardeners attending to the dark green bushes, and another pruning what she was sure was called a mivik bush, a large bush with red leaves and black stalks. But the arrangement of the great variety of plants, and the cutting of the brush to form paths was neither pretentious nor formal. Rose could also distantly see a small lake at the end of the garden, which, she was certain, had been artificially dug for the scenery, but the groundskeepers had allowed nature to adorn it. A feeling of elation filled her as she breathed in the morning air and wandered around the garden paths, something she had not been able to feel for a long time, even after her release from the Taledrevan Void Ship. Rose was delighted, and even more delighted to be so.

"If only the rest of the universe was as peaceful," she said as she turned, pausing only to nod to a staring gardener. It seemed such a release to be out here after the three weeks of weariness she'd stepped into as she felt existence beyond her subconscious for the first time in ten thousand years.

Part of her couldn't believe she was that old. Rose had knowledge and experience transplanted into her mind which wasn't hers hovering on her subconscious, like distant memories that reappeared whenever she needed to think of them. But it wasn't hers. During those ten thousand years, Rose had hardly lived. She was hardly even conscious for most of it, but kept mentally sedated inside a reality which existed only in her imagination. Thus, the independent side of her didn't want to accept her age, and yet, she remembered everything from the "incongruent reality" as the Doctor had described it, and everything from actual reality as well.

_That's what I see all the time, and doesn't it drive you mad?  
_

Rose smiled again as she remembered those words. She even remembered what happened on the Game Station now, and she supposed it was because the Taledrevan regeneration cycle protected her from the damage such memories could do to her. The days following her release were a relief to her at first, but not satisfaction. She'd felt uncomfortable on the Tardis, because in all that time, she'd hardly lived at all. She felt like her life was merely limited experience which had been spread across too much time.

She felt old.

She knew the Doctor and Donna were both worried for her, and she wasn't surprised. She had become tired and morose, ancient yet still unable to age and hating herself for it. But nature always was the greatest medicine. Even as she walked in these gardens, she felt a new appreciation for time, for youth and for senescence, and for life itself.

As Rose allowed her mind to wander to these more pleasant thoughts, she heard movement down the next lane, and turning a corner, she heard a surprised voice call, "Miss Tyler!" She looked up to see Raquin Nahtavid on a Salesat just down the path.

"Lord Nahtavid," she greeted, "a good morning to you."

Raquin gave her a short nod, but didn't get off the Salesat, but Rose was convinced that if he'd gotten off the animal, he'd have bowed. She was certain that Cypnovan society had more upsides than downsides, but even after all her journeys with the Doctor, she still didn't quite understand the almost Victorian gentility that the Yaldegan upper class seemed to employ.

"I'm no expert on expressions among your kind," Raquin said, "but I'm certain that you look remarkably well this morning."

"Haven't I looked well at all lately?" Rose asked, trying not to laugh at his unnecessary politeness.

"You seemed a bit down when you arrived," Raquin commented. "But then, you did come straight from Greyalden. You are doing better than most would."

Rose's smile faltered as she remembered the brutality she'd witnessed at the Sestati headquarters. "Doesn't anyone ever do anything to control the Sestati?" she asked, almost angrily.

Raquin sighed. "They're under Lord Davinathe's control, and he claims that currently Yaldego is in no position to be merciful with its enemies. He doesn't grant the Sestati too much power, of course, but he encourages them to be as… er… _uncompromising_ as possible. Given the current crisis with Capharon (which I'm certain you'll have learned about by now), many people are willing to tolerate it."

"I see." There was an awkward silence for a moment, then Rose asked, "What exactly is Lord Davinathe's position here?"

"He's the Foreign Minister," Raquin informed her, "and one of Lord Theletaos's most important advisors. Lord Theletaos, bless him, does not have the cleverness or the strength to run global affairs on his own. You saw how sickly he is."

Rose nodded, before turning to look at Raquin's Salesat. "It's a beautiful animal," she said, stroking its glossy brown feathers. "Where I come from, we have also have domesticated animals large enough to ride, but they don't fly any more than I do."

"Perhaps you'd like to learn how to ride these?" Raquin offered.

Slightly surprised, Rose told him, "Maybe later, but it is an idea."

"You only need to ask," Raquin said. He then glanced at the palace, which was already bathed in sunlight, and then told her, "I need to get back to my own business. Perhaps we'll continue this conversation later?"

Rose nodded, and Raquin turned the Salesat around and cantered down the path toward the palace. As she watched him go, she wondered not for the first time, what on earth she had gotten herself into.

********

**Well, there's the situation laid out for you. I got the idea from many different pieces of history. I'll let you guess which countries I looked at the most for the idea (although I've already given away one of them in this chapter). **

**The story will get moving in the next few chapters, now that I've laid down the background history for this world. In the next chapter, Deljath and Davinathe repeatedly invite the Doctor and the others to dine with them, Donna finds out a bit about this "Sadarin," that I've repeatedly mentioned, and Rose continues doing a bit of soul-searching… but also, Raquin's mission is underway. Who will he target? **

**In the next two months, I'll probably have trouble devoting attention to this. If so, I apologize in advance, but from next Saturday to mid-July, assuming I find a good internet connection, the next time I update will be from Germany; I'm going on a study program in Berlin for nine weeks. **

**I now will most my usual plea for reviews. I always love to hear them. **

**Today's quote: **

"**I was attacked by a**_** pencil scribble?**_**"**


	8. Chapter 8: Insurgents

Chapter 8

Insurgents

Rose was certain that in the week following Lord Theletaos's dinner party, she was not the only one of their small party to constantly mull over Theletaos's hint and Kabid's confirmation that he would probably not return the Tardis to them until they granted him some service. This bothered Rose, but as she planned to stay on Cypnov for some duration, the confiscation of their transport did not hold much leverage against her. But until the favor was done, the Doctor and Donna were stuck, and this made Rose nervous about what they might get caught in. When Kabid informed them of the situation with Capharon, Rose more clearly understood what Theletaos might ask of them; it would not have been the first time the Doctor had been pulled into a political conflict as a convenient neutral party, she knew, but the Doctor would not be pleased with it, and Donna in particular would probably not be very cooperative unless given a motive to assist in the conflict.

Theletaos, however, gave them time to consider their position. He did not speak to the Doctor, Donna, or Rose about the subject the evening of the dinner party, the next day, or even the next week. The three of them were therefore left to the comfort and pleasures of the palace (carefully watched, she was convinced), and Rose, out of boredom more than anything, soon took up Raquin's offer to give her Salesat-riding lessons.

During her travels with the Doctor, Rose had learned similar skills such as horseback riding when the occasion called for it. To her slight surprise , though Salesats were incapable of flight, it wasn't so very different a skill, though this may have been because her lessons had all been given on ground; Temenir and Raquin (when he wasn't too busy) were both adamant that flying a Salesat was too dangerous, particularly for a rider as anatomically incapable of flight as she was, for her to learn until she was more experienced. For this reason, they always were by her side, correcting her moves and ready to assist her should her steed become too uncooperative or disobedient.

She found that she enjoyed the lessons greatly; riding the Salesat seemed to bring a renewed sense of independence to her that she hadn't felt for years. She still felt slightly confined (mainly because of the uneventful sojourn at the Palace of the Pratethate now, rather than the awkwardness that she'd felt inside the Tardis), but at least she had something pleasurable to do.

Rose had offered for the Doctor and Donna to join her in these lessons. The Doctor did on one occasion, and learned up to the same level Rose was at rather quickly, but soon afterwards he returned to the palace in favor of a book he'd started that morning. Donna declined completely; she was daring enough to participate in most of the activities the Doctor and his friends got up to. Rose had heard plenty of stories to know that: Donna had been locked in a storage facility surrounded by angry Ood; she had shouted indignantly at the Sibylline Sisterhood as they prepared to sacrifice her; she had faced a giant wasp and even a giant red spider. In spite of all these almost unbelievable incidents, there were apparently two things Donna couldn't handle: jumping on a motorway, and the idea of riding a Salesat.

"I'm not bloody falling from that thing!" she protested. Rose didn't press the issue; she merely shrugged and went back to her lesson, and Donna went back inside.

But one day, after Rose finished practicing, she caught sight of Donna standing in the garden while she dismantled the animal, and as she handed the reigns to Temenir, Donna approached.

"Changed your mind?" asked Rose cheerfully.

"How _can_ you ride that thing?" Donna demanded after Temenir took her leave and led the Salesat back to the stables.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "It's just like riding a horse, except it _flies._"

"That's exactly my point!" Donna rolled her eyes. "You and the Doctor may have regeneration cycles, but I value my life too much to even try it."

Rose shrugged. "It's not like _I'd_ survive the fall. Regeneration, whether Gallifreyan or Taledrevan, doesn't help you if you're already dead."

Donna grunted. "You're just as bonkers as the Doctor, then."

Rose smirked at that, and then, without anybody really suggesting it, they started walking down one of the garden paths, Donna talking about a conversation she'd had with Lady Aervanyn at dinner the day before, and Rose pausing sometimes to examine a garden ornament or plant. This path took them to a bridge that had been built across the river flowing past the palace. The bridge offered a fantastic view of the palace grounds, and as they crossed it, Rose caught sight of one of the Yaldegan regiments marching down the lane toward the front of the palace. A warlord on a Salesat rode beside the soldiers, occasionally barking out inaudible commands, and two soldiers at the front carried banners, one of which was adorned with the image of a Salesat rearing upwards, with a bolt of lightning shooting past—the insignia of Pratethan Velathin. Above them, a second regiment glided overhead in a square formation, again accompanied by a commander on a Salesat, who circled above the soldiers at a much faster speed than they could fly.

"They're always doing that," Donna commented. "Every male Radalan, except in social ceremonies, is always in military uniform: the guards, the Sestati, even the footmen. It's like it's required to be a soldier here!"

"It probably is," shrugged Rose. "The aristocrats _are_ warlords, you know. It's not for nothing that they're called that."

"And the Premier Warlord must be some kind of general."

"Generalissimo," Rose corrected, before continuing down the bridge. "But it's a bit hard to picture little Lord Theletaos as a soldier-king."

Donna nodded in agreement, smiling slightly.

They continued on their way, ignoring the sound of marching, commands, and sometimes gunfire. After a few minutes, Donna spoke up again. "I heard a radio say that a group of unidentifiable insurgents destroyed a public meeting-house in Greyalden yesterday evening."

Rose sighed. "Yes," she said, "I heard it from Temenir earlier. It's been a problem here for years apparently. The attackers are usually either from Capharon, or are Yaldegan sympathizers. I don't know for sure, but I get the impression that the Yaldegan insurgents are usually the most violent."

"Why are they doing it?" asked Donna.

Rose stared at her. "Weren't you listening when Kabid explained the situation to us?"

"She didn't give a lot of detail."

Rose shrugged. "Simple answer, really. They're tired of their country being under Yaldego's thumb. They want Capharon to govern its own affairs and its own economy without reference to the Pratethate."

Donna groaned. "Bet the Yaldegans love that."

Rose nodded. "It goes against everything Pratethan built up. I don't know about you, but I think that some of the Pratethate warlords would sooner destroy their own country than yield to the Capharon movement."

As they approached the woods near the garden, Donna suddenly said, "Can I ask you a question?"

Rose looked at her. "By all means."

"Why did you ask the Doctor to keep Theletaos's attention away from you? I've only known you for a few weeks, but I don't think it's really like you to shrink behind the Doctor. Anyway, you're the reason we're here."

"I'm sorry about that," Rose said sincerely, looking regretful. "I didn't intend for you two to get caught up in this."

"It's hardly _your_ fault!" Donna said dismissively. "And it's _so_ like the Doctor to get arrested moments after her steps out of the Tardis. Still, I'd expect you to be the one talking with Theletaos and Davinathe. You're the expert, after all."

Rose paused, and pointed at a bench by one of the mavik bushes. She was silent as they both sat down, clearly considering how to answer. Then after a few minutes in thought, she said slowly, "I don't want their attention on me, because they were going to do a DNA scan. I've got Taledrevan DNA… only trace amounts, but enough to set off their computer, and as you know, the Helials are not in their good books. After their rise to prominence, the Pratethate did everything in its power to purge Cypnov of all things Taledrevan. Considering how the Helials treated the Radalans, and considering how the Sestati treats its prisoners, imagine their reaction if they found out about me. Lord Theletaos probably would have had me killed or tortured, and possibly you and the Doctor as well."

Donna stared. "But you didn't know they'd do a blood test until we got to this palace."

She shrugged. "I'd guessed. We repeatedly denied being Helials at Gavarik. I know Yadathrin didn't acknowledge it, but he certainly would have taken note of that. And, like in our own galaxy, there are multiple races here that have our basic external form, which is why they believed the possibility enough to scientifically confirm it. A blood scan was all they'd need."

"They didn't exactly torture us when they thought we were Helials," Donna pointed out.

"As the Doctor said, they didn't harm us then because they thought the empire was returning," Rose reminded her. "That was the only thing protecting us. They were scared that if they hurt us they'd provoke another invasion."

"Well, now they think we're Time Lords." Donna sighed. "I suppose that's slightly better."

"The Doctor's a Time Lord." Rose swept some hair from her face. "And he's more likely to get all the attention when we're asked to do this favor, whatever it is. Right now, Theletaos doesn't need to know that you and I are not Time Lords ourselves."

Donna seemed to accept this answer.

"What do you say to lunch?" asked Rose.

"Sounds good," said Donna cheerfully.

...

Temenir crept down the path silently, digesting what she had heard. After departing from the stables, she'd backtracked into a garden path to have some time to herself. She hadn't gotten far, however, before she heard Rose say on the other side of the hedge she'd been passing, "Considering how the Sestati treats its prisoners, imagine their reaction if they found out about me. Lord Theletaos probably would have had me killed or tortured, and possibly you and the Doctor as well."

The rest of the conversation was enough to give Temenir real alarm, especially for Raquin and his mission. Turning back toward the palace, Temenir broke into a run, and then took flight, gliding through the air to an open window, and then she crossed to the adjacent hallway and made her way up a spiral staircase, until she was at her brother's office.

"Come in!" Raquin responded to her knock. As Temenir entered, he looked up from his desk computer, and gestured for her to take a seat, but instead she closed the door and bolted it, before directly telling him all she had heard. Raquin listened with raised eyebrows, and when Temenir finished, he leaned back.

"So," he said quietly, "Only one of the Time Lords actually is a Time Lord. Who then are the other two?"

"They still claim to not be Helials," Temenir reminded him. "They could be Edrens or Alkahtrans."

Raquin shook his head. "If they were, why hide it?"

There was a long, uneasy silence.

"What are you going to do?" the other asked.

Raquin leaned back, looking thoughtful. Then he said, "Don't tell anyone what you heard, Temenir. If at all possible, we're going to keep this information from Lord Theletaos, and certainly from Davinathe. Don't even acknowledge to the 'Time Lords' that you know."

"What about our other Lord Theletaos?" whispered Temenir, glancing at the door nervously.

"We're here on his behalf." Raquin answered vaguely. He looked out his window, and then pulled a map of Cypnov from his desk, placing a pen on Capharon, before reminding Temenir pointedly, "These Time Lords have their own charade; so do we."

After a week in anticipation for Lord Theletaos' expected request, the Doctor began to grow extremely frustrated; he couldn't get his Tardis back, and he wasn't sure what Theletaos and Davinathe were playing at, but they certainly succeeded in boring him greatly. The Doctor tried to occupy himself by reading more Cypnovan history, by making conversation with the footmen, Lord Nahtavid or his sister, or other Yaldegan warlords, by viewing the art galleries, or by exploring the palace, and while all these were fascinating, they did nothing to relieve his frustration. Most days, he ended up pacing incessantly around the halls or his chamber.

He knew that Donna and Rose were bored too, but they appeared to be handling the uneventfulness of the palace better than he was. Donna would often visit with Temenir, Kabid, or even Lady Aervanyn and spent the day getting to know them, but not touching anything they offered her unless Rose was with her, knowing the danger of sampling too great a variety of Cypnovan food. Rose wasn't with her that often, however, because she was often occupied herself, either with reading the books in their room like he often did, walking in the gardens, or with her Salesat-riding lessons outside.

Rose's spirits in the last few days had improved greatly, and this was about the only thing that brought the Doctor any comfort. In the past few weeks, Rose had done her best to hide her pain over her recent experience, but anyone who had known her before the Battle of Canary Wharf could see that she had hardened greatly. Despite his upset over her change in the days after the Void Ship, the Doctor understood why. He knew what it was like to go through years of loneliness and despair (the years after the Time War most recently), but he knew he could never fully relate to spending thousands of years under the control of a more powerful entity.

But Rose was doing much better; she still showed little emotion most of the time, but she seemed to be happier than she had been recently; apparently the walks outside and the Salesat rides were doing her good, and he was glad of it.

After twelve days, thirteen hours, twenty-four minutes and thirty seconds, when the Doctor felt that his boredom had brought him to the point of insanity, Lord Theletaos finally called the Doctor to a conference room after he finished his breakfast. The Doctor could only suppose that they had finally decided to summon him because of the recent attack from Capharon sympathizers. He wasn't completely decided on how to answer, because while he didn't want to involve himself in this world's politics, he did need the Tardis back. So on the way to the conference room, the Doctor tried to sort through his thoughts and the many arguments he had prepared for their request.

When he arrived, he could hear Theletaos and Davinathe's muffled voices through the door.

"Praesarim tells me that it would be of great relief to him; I only hope they agree."

"It probably wouldn't be that large of a problem to them, considering their background."

"Let us hope so."

"What about 'Etalih Innai'?"

"I think we ought to say nothing of it for now, my lord, until we better know the Time Lords."

At this moment, the Doctor knocked, and the speakers fell silent. A moment later Davinathe opened the door, and wordlessly showed them inside.

"Good morning, Doctor," Deljath Theletaos greeted him from the conference table. The Doctor could see documents and blueprints strewn across the wooden surface. Theletaos looked behind him. "I notice Miss Tyler and Noble do not accompany you."

"Rose is out in the gardens, and I don't know where Donna is, but not with me."

The Doctor thought it better that Donna didn't accompany him anyway; he knew that she disliked the Warlords' general attitude, Raquin Nahtavid excepted, around her and Rose, and Donna had made her opinion of Yaldego's patriarchal society quite clear to everyone who would listen, and had seriously annoyed the footmen and a few warlords as well. The last thing the Doctor wanted was to break up an argument between Donna and the Premier Warlord of the Pratethate.

As Davinathe took his seat, Theletaos began, "You may have guessed what we will ask you to do."

The Doctor merely replied, "I've been mulling over it."

Davinathe shrugged. "It's only a small service, which we may ask for the Valdarans' opinion as well, but you may be better qualified than they."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "The Valdarans are ambassadors; they probably would be better qualified if it's political."

The two warlords looked surprised. Frowning, Davinathe asked, "That's what you thought? That we'd ask you to involve yourself in the Capharon problem?"

The Doctor shrugged.

"Certainly, that would be of service to Yaldego," Davinathe told him, "but it is not your fight. No, this favor we ask of you isn't really political. As survivors of one of the universe's most advanced civilizations, you and your companions must have extensive knowledge of science and technology that Cypnovans do not have."

It was the Doctor's turn to be taken aback. "Well…"

"The Helials left behind a few artifacts," Davinathe explained. "The technology in some of these artifacts is beyond the Premier Warlord's best scientists, but they want to reverse engineer them."

The Doctor was unsurprised that these artifacts had bewildered the Cypnovan scientists. He'd seen enough of their society to know that their technology was at about the same level as Earth's; Taledrevan technology would be far beyond Cypnovan capabilities. But the talk of reverse engineering, and therefore of using, alien artifacts made him think of Torchwood, and he asked, "Are any of them weapons?"

"How should we know?" asked Davinathe innocently. "As I have already told you, we hardly understand these artifacts."

The Doctor coughed, trying to hide his disbelieving snort. After an awkward pause, he inquired, "And my ship?"

"If you believe you and your companions can perform this service, and prove capable, your ship will be returned to you once it is done," said Davinathe lightly. "I am certain you are capable, but if you decide that the technology is beyond Time Lord abilities as well, then arrangements can be made for another service."

By now the Doctor started to feel indignant. The readings he had done had shown that few people ever entered the Premier Warlord's hospitality without being asked to perform some service, whether it be military, a donation or contribution, or even keeping the Premier Warlord company for the day; but this wasn't just Cypnovan custom. Theletaos and Davinathe were doing their best to make certain that he did what they asked, without leaving him any other options, and the Doctor didn't like to be forced into a corner.

Considering the crisis Yaldego was in, which, though the Doctor wasn't totally aware of its nature yet, looked to be rather severe, he hardly thought that studying Taledrevan artifacts with the Cypnovan scientists was, in this case, unrelated to the political problems. He'd been in too many wars and too many conflicts to be fooled.

"You'll consider it?" asked Theletaos. It wasn't a question, but a request.

But the Doctor had an answer ready. "Only if I see the artifacts first. I'll form a decision based on what I can deduce about them."

Davinathe raised his eyebrow. "You are very pragmatic, Doctor, and you bargain well. We accept. When would you like to see the technology?"

The Doctor stared. He'd been under the impression ever since he arrived that the Premier Warlord as generalissimo of the Yaldegan Army, was also the supreme commander of Yaldegan civil life as well. He'd believed that he was the ultimate decision maker, but Lord Theletaos had hardly said a word throughout this conversation, and Davinathe had accepted his conditions without even looking at the former.

But his confusion notwithstanding, both warlords awaited the Doctor's reply, and so finally he answered, "Whenever is convenient." After a short pause, he stood. "Are we done then? I should discuss this with Rose and Donna before agreeing to look at anything."

Theletaos gave a small nod. "Very well. You may go."

The warlords stood and bowed as he exited.

...

As soon as he could find them, the Doctor filled Rose and Donna in on his meeting with Theletaos and Davinathe, and the request Davinathe had given him. When he had finished, Donna's looked as surprised as he initially was, and Rose was frowning.

"That's…" Rose paused for a moment, considering how to end her sentence, before settling on, "…unexpected."

"I was sure Theletaos was going to ask us to help with Capharon," said Donna.

Rose sank onto the bench in the grove; they had gone outside to hold private conversations ever since Kabid's hint about the listening systems. Looking thoughtful, she asked, "D'you get the impression that _Davinathe_ is actually the one running things around here?"

The Doctor nodded. "More than an impression really; when you think about it, Theletaos talks a great deal in ceremonial occasions, as he did at our reception here and his dinner party, but when it comes to decision-making, he consults Davinathe. And what's odd is not only that Theletaos let Davinathe do the all bargaining just now, but that Davinathe accepted my conditions without consulting Theletaos at all."

"And Lord Nahtavid told me that Davinathe is in charge of the Sestati," added Rose. "He already has a lot of power just from that. Our coming here to meet the Premier Warlord must therefore have been Davinathe's arrangement."

The others fell silent, considering this.

"I don't know about you," Rose continued, "but I doubt that they've asked us to do this because some curious scientist wants to study Taledrevan artifacts. Davinathe must think there's something immensely advantageous in it."

"Well, you two are going to have to be the ones to work with the Helial artifacts," Donna said after a moment. "I don't know squat about technical engineering, no matter how advanced it is. I can't even change a plug."

"Do you think I should accept?" the Doctor asked Rose, who looked slightly surprised.

"Do you need my opinion?"

"It concerns you as much as it concerns me."

Rose thought for a moment. "I'm certain there's an underlying reason behind this, judging from Davinathe's actions thus far, but you need the Tardis back, and frankly, I'm curious to see what these Taledrevan artifacts are."

...

Raquin was worried. For the past two weeks, he had spent hours in his office at a time, and many sleepless nights, considering how to undertake his mission. There were any number of variables involved: which of the aliens to target, where and when it could be done, and how.

The fiery redhead, Donna Noble, certainly wasn't the most ideal target, because Temenir, who had done her best to help him with this mission, had informed him that while Donna was interesting to talk to, she didn't appear to have much talent technologically, which was what Sadarin wanted from the Time Lords. Also, he reflected, her entire temper would probably be a hindrance. Sadarin would not be happy with being handed the most recalcitrant of the three. Besides, as Temenir had recently informed him, Donna was not actually a Time Lord.

The Doctor seemed to be the most logical target; the few times Raquin had spoken to the Time Lord, the more he came to understand that the Doctor was probably the most knowledgeable of the three, and according to Temenir, the Doctor was the only one to actually be a Time Lord.

On the other hand, he was curious about the third 'Time Lord.' While the Doctor certainly was mysterious, his companion Rose was downright unfathomable. She did not have the same aura the Doctor did, but she seemed to be almost as knowledgeable as he was (which was the reason Sadarin wanted one of them captured). There was also the mystery of her background. She wasn't a Time Lord, nor was she a Helial, but he now knew that Rose was carefully hiding something, not from Deljath Theletaos, not from Ferjhaal Davinathe, not from the Sestati, but from Radalans in general.

All in all, it was not an easy operation to tackle; the palace was heavily guarded, and under constant surveillance, which made the abduction all but impossible within the building. The gardens or the woods were less guarded, especially woods because of the difficultly guarding the mass of trees would involve. It was the reason the listening systems hadn't been installed there.

When Raquin considered this, it made the process involved easier to plan, and it made it much easier to decide who to take.

Raquin was extremely annoyed that Ytrein had pushed this on his plate, even though technically it was the latter that Sadarin had given the assignment to, but after two weeks of consideration and planning, he was ready to speak to Ytrein again. So one evening, he went to the woods again, to the same spot he had last met the other spy, and found him already waiting there.

"Well?" Ytrein demanded before Raquin even opened his mouth. "What have you got planned?"

"I think I've worked out the basic strategy through which it could be done, and who to target, but the rest is up to you," Raquin told him.

"Just give me the basics, and it will be done."

"Also, Temenir and I will have to leave," Raquin added. "Davinathe recently decided that the aliens have to be protected above all else—apparently he's asked the male to perform some sort of service—and you'll never guess who he placed in charge of their protection."

Ytrein raised a brow. "You?"

Raquin nodded. "This will be a spectacular fail on my part. They might even get suspicious."

"So what are you going to do?"

"By the time the undertaking is done, my sister and I will already be on our way to Capharon. You worry about the act."

Ytrein nodded. "So tell me, where, when, and how is this to be done?"

...

Rose was restless again that night, and the Doctor, awake as usual, watched her murmur in her sleep. She was in the bed nearest the bookshelf, her detached left hand on her bedside table, and he could see the blankets starting to get twisted around her as she rolled around.

Since the night he had first watched this happen, the Doctor had avoided bringing up the Void Ship and Eve of the Eternal, but since he only needed a couple of hours of sleep, he spent every night watching the stars from the balcony or reading in the light of Cypnov's two moons. Due to his wariness each night, however, he had, on more than one occasion, caught Rose tossing and turning. She seemed happier than she had been before their arrival on Cypnov, but her restiveness did not change.

Finally, Rose gasped and sat up, and just as it was that night in the Sestati headquarters, she looked around after she recollected herself, and then caught sight of the Doctor watching her.

This time he spoke before she could react. "You were dreaming about it, weren't you. The Void Ship?"

Rose looked irritated, and the Doctor braced himself for her retort, but it never came. She sighed, and nodded wearily. "I wish they'd stop," she whispered.

The Doctor could hear the tears in her voice that she barely restrained, and he rose form his seat and sat on the bed next to her. However, he resisted the urge to put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly, or take her hand, or make any movement that he would have done before Canary Wharf; the post-Void Ship Rose would not welcome it.

"How often do you have these dreams?" he asked.

Rose did not answer for a long time. He watched her carefully, silently urging her to confide in him, as she would have all those years ago. He knew it was selfish, but he missed those days, and wanted just a small piece of them back..

She unwittingly complied with his unspoken pleas. "All the time." Rose hesitated. "Do you ever dream of the Time War?"

The Doctor nodded sadly. "Not as often as I used to."

Rose looked away. "I suppose that mine will eventually fade too."

He smiled. "Mind you, the nightmares about the Time War were replaced with you falling into the Void."

Rose's eyes met his again, looking taken aback. "You know, I never thanked you for saving me from Eve of the Eternal." She steadfastly kept eye contact, despite the awkwardness of their situation.

"You don't need to thank me," he told her. "I wanted you back, and it was also appropriate, considering that my actions that day placed you in that situation."

It was Rose's turn to smile sadly. "You blame yourself, don't you?"

"How could I not?" The Doctor felt his guilt refresh itself, and he knew that it showed in his entire countenance, but while the relief at her survival was very great, the guilt for her death had rapidly been replaced with guilt for her centuries of captivity. "I could have avoided the whole thing in any number of ways. I shouldn't have taken you to Canary Wharf."

He looked away, and in doing so, he didn't see Rose shake her head. "Doctor," she said quietly, "let me for once in the whole time I've known you acknowledge when something was completely and totally my fault. It was through my reckless actions, my refusal to comply with your wishes, that I was even there when you opened the breach. You forget that had things gone your way, I would now be in that parallel universe with my family, safe, young and whole, and I daresay, completely heart-broken. But I didn't want to accept that, so I refused to listen to you and came back. What happened to me afterwards was just extraordinary bad luck. You, however, are not to blame."

The Doctor opened his mouth to retort, and turned to look at her, but having leaned back when he looked away, upon turning to her, he suddenly found his face inches from hers. He started, and Rose looked taken aback too, but neither of them moved from that position, uncertain of what to say or do next. Clearly unable to counter her earlier statement, the Doctor stared at Rose awkwardly, before his expression softened and he nodded.

They sat there for a long time, both lost in their own thoughts. The Doctor, realizing the truth of Rose's words, attempted to confine his feelings to the more appropriate sadness for all that happened to them both. His conflicted feelings must have shown, however, because after some hesitation, Rose took his hand comfortingly, and for a moment, it was almost as though the Void Ship had never happened. It reminded the Doctor of the hours after Rose had tried to save her dead father, way back in his ninth incarnation. She had been devastated then, not only by the disaster that the attempt brought, but also (though she never would have admitted it) by the fact that she had completely failed in her endeavor to save him.

For a moment, it was as though he was back on the Tardis with a younger Rose, the one who's innocence held him in awe. He wanted _his_ Rose back, and part of him sincerely believed that she was still there.

But the moment of happiness and comfort was only a moment. Rose soon stiffened and inched away from him, looking extremely uncomfortable, and he was brought back to reality. There was still a brick wall between them. The pain of ten thousand years of captivity would not fade in a few weeks. If Rose ever fully recovered from Eve of the Eternal, it would take decades, perhaps centuries, or even millennia for all the Doctor knew. Things could never be the same as they were before the Battle of Canary Wharf; but the Doctor felt better about himself than he had done for weeks, and still more hopeful for Rose.

* * *

...

The next morning Rose woke a little later than usual, due to the uneasiness of her sleep the night before. The Doctor had attempted, on more than one occasion, to talk to her about what had happened on the Void Ship ever since he rescued her from it, but last night was different. Perhaps it was because he was more direct than usual, or perhaps because Rose had already begun to come to terms with what had happened to her since their arrival, but she suddenly she no longer had any desire to close herself off from him.

She was certain that he, like herself, had nostalgically thought back to the times before she fell into the Void, way back when she had traveled on the Tardis with him; Rose wasn't certain how the Doctor had felt upon these thoughts, but dwelling on the past caused intense grief to well up within her, because those times were long gone.

Feeling the need to move—to do something—Rose wandered outside, as usual, to meet Temenir or Raquin by the stables for her usual morning riding practice, but she still dwelt on the matter of her and the Doctor. When she was much younger… when she traveled with him, toward the end she had become closer to the Doctor than she now realized was really prudent. Up to the moment she fell into the Void, Rose had wanted to stay on the Tardis with him for the rest of her life, and towards the end, it seemed that the Doctor, forgetting his reservations, had begun to welcome the idea.

But then Canary Wharf happened, and Rose was not only separated from him for ten thousand years, but was in no position to even remember him, let alone herself. The Doctor had thought her dead, and (she hoped) had attempted to move on, but Rose was left on the Void Ship, at first completely unconscious, and then kept in a trance for the rest of it, until finally something happened on the Void Ship to wake her.

Frowning, Rose suddenly wondered why she had been shaken from her mental sleep six weeks before; what had happened that changed her situation then? That question was something she had forgotten about until now, because of the struggle to escape Eve of the Eternal, and then the strong desire to forget about it…

When she arrived at the stables, neither Temenir nor Raquin were there to meet her. Frowning, Rose wandered into the small wooden building, where several Salesats raised their heads, startled at her sudden entry. One of the stalls (the one that contained the dark-brown animal she usually rode), however, had a note attached to the door, and Rose leaned closer to read it.

_Miss Tyler-_

_I'm afraid that I will not be able to help you practice riding this morning, nor will Raquin. _

_-Temenir Nahtavid_

Rose sighed, and tucked the note into her pocket. Slightly disappointed, she quitted the stable and instead walked into the garden, deciding to take the air.

"Hey Rose!"

It was Donna again. Rose raised a hand in greeting as Donna jogged up to meet her.

"Up at last?" Donna asked in amusement.

Rose shrugged. "As you see. It's not that late, you know."

"Not riding today?"

"Nope. Temenir's out, and Raquin's unavailable." Rose shrugged. "Ah well, perhaps tomorrow. So what are you out here for?"

Donna looked bored. "Nobody around today except you. There's some sort of military ceremony going on. The warlords are all out with their regiments, the royal family went to watch, I've got no idea where Kabid is, and the Doctor's shut himself out on the balcony; he said he wanted some time to himself, so he's not good company."

But Donna smiled softly after she said this, and said nothing more, though her eyes were fixed on her friend. Rose raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me, how much of last night were you listening to?"

Donna looked embarrassed. "I didn't mean to!" she said hastily. "You would talk about personal matters in the same room as me! I'm not a heavy sleeper, you know."

Rose didn't look at all concerned. "It's all right. At one time, I'd be embarrassed, but I'm not twenty anymore."

Donna looked at Rose critically. "You know, I still can't quite believe that."

Rose said nothing; in truth, there wasn't really anything to say about it. Her thoughts went back to the subject she'd woken up thinking about.

It was a very quiet morning; usually by this time (she guessed to be about ten o'clock) there were more people in the garden, but she couldn't even see any gardeners out. She supposed that most of the palace visitors had gone to watch the regiments. The sun, Verkata, had lit up the garden path before them, which led toward the woods. The dirt road running from the garden through the trees there was also made very visible by the angle of the sunlight, and as she looked up, Rose thought she saw something shift in the trees. Pausing, she squinted, trying to make out whatever had moved back there, but nothing further happened. Still staring at the grove, Rose didn't realize that Donna had been prattling about her morning for the past ten minutes.

"Rose, I'm talking to you, can you hear me?" Donna all but shouted. Rose jumped and shook her head to clear it.

"Sorry," she said hastily.

"Where were you just now?" asked Donna, amused. "Off in your own world, or does it have something to do with a certain Time Lord I will not name?"

Rose grunted, slightly annoyed. "Donna, I just told you, I'm not bloody…"

"… twenty anymore. I heard," Donna smirked.

But Rose was barely paying attention. She wasn't certain, but she could have sworn that just moments before, she'd seen something black and shiny dart between trees close to the forest path, but not come into view.

"Hey look, there's Kabid," Donna said suddenly, and momentarily distracted, Rose looked up in time to see the Valdaran ambassador appear suddenly in an adjacent path, which exited the garden maze, along with four Yaldegan soldiers dressed in the customary gold-kevlar armor. All of them, save the Valdaran, had Salesats, but one of them wasn't riding one. Kabid's head turned suddenly so that she was looking in their direction, and she waved at them.

"Morning," she greeted as soon as they met her. "I thought you usually were out riding by this time, Miss Tyler."

Rose shook her head. "No instructor today."

Kabid nodded. "My scientist, Nehmet (you met him at the dinner party), attempted to learn to ride one as well."

Rose and Donna both scrutinized Kabid, attempting to picture a Valdaran on a Salesat. Kabid chuckled. "Of course, it doesn't work very well for tripedal people like us. Nehmet gave up after the first attempt. Apparently his back leg made it awkward, not to mention highly uncomfortable."

"I can imagine it would," said Donna. She turned her attention to the soldiers. "Haven't seen you lot before."

"Sidrilan Salestor," the soldier who walked beside Kabid introduced himself. "And these are Dathalin Gilbedan, Tethidar Sirisir, and Ginidel Dalbarin." The others nodded, and then all four bowed their heads to Rose, who winced.

"Oh, don't bow," she said uncomfortably. "I'm not the king."

Donna sniggered. "I'll have a salute. He's like the colonel from UNIT."

Salestor looked confused, but he gave Donna a short bow, before snapping his taloned feet together, then he stretched his clawed left hand out into the air. "Madam Noble," he said curtly, as though addressing a military officer. Rose immediately feigned a coughing fit in order to cover up her laughter, as Donna, looking horrified at the manner of the salute, hissed to her, "I didn't mean a Hitler salute!"

This time, Rose couldn't hide her laughter, and she looked away, biting her lip hard, and hoping that the soldiers and Kabid wouldn't see her shaking. Donna glared at her.

If Kabid noticed their differing reactions to Salestor's salute, she didn't comment. Rose, trying to calm herself, then asked Salestor, "What are you three doing out here, anyway? I understand everyone's in front of the palace… some sort of procession?"

Salestor nodded. "We're supposed to be here, though."

"Salestor and Gilbedan are both soldiers from the 9th division in Lord Theletaos' personal guard. Lord Davinathe hired them to escort me and Nehmet wherever we need to go."

"Do you need an escort?" asked Donna.

"She's an ambassador," Rose reminded her. "Ambassadors have bodyguards. It's in the nature of the job."

"And given the recent Capharon attacks, it's better safe than sorry these days," Salestor added.

"There wasn't another one?" asked Donna.

Kabid nodded. "Last night, in Drevaldian. Someone killed a Sestati officer and set fire to his house. They think it was the Capharon insurgents, but they've found no evidence yet."

Remembering the brutal assault on the prisoners at the Sestati headquarters, Rose honestly couldn't feel much sympathy for the victim in this case. Given their use of terror, it was unsurprising to her that Sestati officers were targets.

Turning her attention to the other two soldiers, Donna asked, "What about you two? Who are you supposed to be protecting?"

Dalbarin smirked. "You."

She and Rose stared. "Since when did Theletaos give us bodyguards?" asked Rose in confusion and horror.

Dalbarin shrugged. "Since yesterday night. Lord Davinathe told Lord Nahtavid to give you bodyguards, and he hired us."

Rose said nothing. She understood Davinathe's reasoning behind this to some degree, but she didn't relish the idea of being under constant scrutiny supposedly for her own security. But she didn't have time to dwell on that, because a moment later Kabid invited them to join them on her walk, and since they had nothing better to do, they accepted. As they turned down a path which passed some high hedges, Donna hissed to Rose, "If you mention that salute to the Doctor, I swear I'll…"

But Donna never finished the sentence. At that exact moment, as they walked outside the maze of hedges by the forest, they heard a loud snap from the trees behind, and all four of them paused, frowning at the trees. Rose frowned at the gaps between the trees, remembering the movement she'd seen earlier. They waited for a few minutes for any motion. Dalbarin was squinting into the trees with narrow eyes and an unreadable expression, and Rose wondered if he could see something in there.

Then Dalbarin suddenly drew his gun from his belt. Confused, the other soldiers followed suit, and in the next minute, they all found out what had caught Dalbarin's attention, but what followed happened too fast for anybody to really comprehend it.

There was series of loud cracks, and in a split second several clouds of dust burst from the ground. It was in the next second, when Rose realized that somebody was shooting at them, that five masked Radalans in black kevlar armor suddenly charged from the trees, three on Salesats, and all carrying guns.

Gilbedan and Salestor reacted just as quickly; the latter leapt from his Salesat, grabbed, Kabid, and dragged her into the maze, and Salestor pulled Donna onto his Salesat, ignoring her shouts of protest, and took off into a garden path, the view of which was blocked by a high brick wall. This left Rose with Sirisar and Dalbarin, who trained their guns on the five charging insurgents, and Rose, realizing what was about to happen, leapt onto Gilbedan's abandoned Salesat and dug her heels into its thorax, prompting it to take off at a gallop.

In the next moment, she could hear the soldiers and insurgents simultaneously open fire, but she didn't stop and she didn't look back, but kept riding as fast as she dared; if she went too fast, the animal could take flight, and she had yet to learn how to control them in the air. With no idea of what was happening, she took the animal down the first left she could see, then the next right, down the middle fork, until the path grew too thin and jagged for her to safely ride through. To her horror, Rose realized that she had no idea where she was. She couldn't see anything around her except brick walls and hedges, so she wasn't certain what direction she was going, or where the palace was.

A moment later, she could hear the foot-beats of a Salesat riding nearby, and she ran deeper into the maze. As she did, she heard an unfamiliar voice distantly shout, "Find them, damn you!"

* * *

...

"We've got to go back!" Donna hissed to Salestor angrily. They had stopped in a garden archway, which kept them and Salestor's Salesat well hidden. "We've got to find the others!"

"Gilbedan and Dalbarin will be looking after them," he told her firmly, as he peered through the wall of leaves to the outside, trying to see the terrorists. "We were hired to see to your security, and that's what I'm going to do, or it'll be my head you'll see on a plaque tomorrow morning."

Donna scowled, but said nothing. Salestor, meanwhile, rolled up his leather armband, revealing a small panel built into the second layer. This he opened, revealing a small button and a speaker.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Salestor hit the button. "Getting help," he answered.

* * *

...

Upon taking a right turn, Rose exited the maze, and found herself in a vast field cobble-stone field filled with colossal concrete blocks, each about fifteen feet high and forming a grid of paths. It was very quiet, but it didn't feel right.

Rose wandered down the grid aimlessly, simultaneously wondering what had happened to the others, and also how in the world the Capharon rebels had breached the security of the palace. How, and why…?

They'd ambushed the alien visitors and their bodyguards, that much was certain. They couldn't have been after the four soldiers; they were just bodyguards, after all, so why risk so much for so little? Nor was it a terrorist attack, because nobody was around except their small party. Were they after Kabid? Perhaps, but Kabid had been on Cypnov for years, and didn't seem to be involved with the global politics, though she kept a close eye on it for her own safety.

Of course, they could have been after her and Donna, but that possibility was even more unlikely. They and the Doctor had only just arrived two weeks before, and until yesterday, had only been visitors… and there was no way that the Capharon rebels could have found out that Davinathe had roped the Doctor into Lord Theletaos's service so quickly.

She couldn't tell what was going on, but she was absolutely certain that the Capharon guerillas were still out there. Rose still couldn't see where she was, but it would be vastly easier to find her way through this place than in the maze, and she was still rather well hidden.

Or so she thought for the next moment, until a shadow passed over her, and she looked up to see one of the black-armored insurgents circling above her. Realizing she had been seen, she ran down one of the paths, again uncertain of the direction she was headed. At that moment, she heard a loud, deep tone, like an alarm, go off distantly.

She kept running, occasionally glancing up to see the guerilla still above her… unable to dive because of the close proximity of the stone blocks, but watching her closely. Rose ran back into the maze, and turning a left corner, she collided with something a head shorter than her, and fell to the ground.

"Ouch!" Kabid yelped.

"Sorry!" Rose whispered, straightening herself up, and then pulling the other to her feet. She then noticed that Kabid was alone.

"Where's Gilbedan?" she asked.

Kabid shut her eyes and shook her head. "They shot him."

At that moment, the flying insurgent's shadow passed over them again, and they looked up to see that he had taken off.

"It will be the alarm," Kabid whispered, as they slowly made their way back down the path. "The guards will be out here any moment."

"And have you seen Donna?"

Kabid shook her head again. "I'm afraid not. Last thing I saw was them firing at Sirisar before Gilbedan pulled me into the maze."

"She'll be all right," Rose said, trying to convince herself more than Kabid. "She's tough, Donna. She'll be fine."

They fell silent, and both sat down, again well hidden except to the insurgent who had been circling above them, but he seemed to have scampered. But they couldn't hear anything more except for the alarm. What was going on?

At that moment, a voice hissed, "Come with me, quickly!"

* * *

...

"About time!" Salestor snarled as the alarm went off.

"What's that?" asked Donna. "Is that help?"

Salestor shook his head, looking furious. "Yes, but it'll take them a while to get organized. Damn rebels! They picked the perfect time to attack; with everyone at the procession, they might not arrive in time!"

Donna buried her face in her left hand, and Salestor opened up his radio again. Hitting the button, he said, "Sirisar, report!"

There was no answer.

"Sirisar! Report!"

Again nothing, and Salestor swore quietly, before continuing, "Gilbedan, report!"

But Gilbedan didn't answer either, nor did Dalbarin. Salestor cursed again, and peered out from the archway again.

"Do you see anything?" asked Donna, terrified.

He shook his head. "Nothing. They're not flying above the garden anymore." He hesitated. "Let's go. We're getting you to safety."

* * *

...

Rose was getting tired.

The minute Dalbarin appeared in their passage, he had them running again. They couldn't hear anything, but he insisted that the insurgents were still out there, probably searching the maze from within, because they were too visible from the air now that the alarm had gone off. Apart from this, Dalbarin ignored their questions, simply insisting that they follow him and keep quiet.

The whole time, Dalbarin appeared to be following a map on what Rose supposed to be the Cypnovan equivalent of a GPS device. Rose was glad that Dalbarin seemed to know where they were, but she sure didn't. She panted behind him and Kabid, running short of breath. She had no idea how long it had been, but either it had been longer than it seemed, or else all those years on the Void Ship had put her out of shape.

"Damn Eve of the Eternal," she hissed to herself. The others didn't hear her.

She paused to catch her breath, but Dalbarin wouldn't let her do so; he grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the hedges, ignoring her protests.

"We do not stop until we're safely out," he snapped.

"I don't—hear—anything!" Rose panted furiously. "Can't you—let me…"

But a furious look from the other silenced her. He wasn't going to assent, and she allowed him to lead her and Kabid away, her heart and lungs screaming in protest.

Finally, after Dalbarin led them into a clearing, he told them to stop. Rose sank onto a stone bench, and tried to slow her breathing. She was vaguely aware of Kabid repeatedly asking her bodyguard what was going on, but Rose didn't hear his answer. A movement in the corner of her eye made her glance at the sky, and she could see a Salesat flying toward the palace, but it's rider was in gold kevlar, and she could just see Donna's red hair as well.

At that moment, they heard hoof-beats, and Kabid and Rose looked to their left to see an insurgent galloping toward them on a Salesat, and another coming upon them from the right. Then the two rebels who had not come with steeds leapt out and trained their guns on Rose and Kabid, who both turned to Dalbarin for instructions.

He, however, calmly looked at his leather armband just as Salestor's voice emanated from it. "Corporal Dalbarin, hang in there. We've got help on its way."

Dalbarin sneered, and pulled the armband off, tossing it to the ground. "You're too late, Salestor," he said to no one. "It was a pleasure knowing you, though."

"This is the one we want, Ytrein?" asked one of the masked riders.

Dalbarin, apparently the one the rebel addressed, nodded. Turning to the two who had come on foot, he jerked his head in Rose's direction. "Tie her up. Take the Valdaran too; we've only got a few minutes before the guards arrive."

Rose didn't resist. Too worn out to fight, and overcome with shock and disgust at Dalbarin's (or rather Ytrein's) betrayal, she didn't lift a finger to protect herself as the nearest black-armored insurgent knocked her over and tied her wrists together, his taloned foot between her shoulder-blades. She winced as he put weight on her back, and pulled her wrists upwards, but did not say a word. There was no point.

Then a new but distant sound broke through the tense atmosphere.

"ROSE!"

It was Donna. Rose turned her head from her position to the ground in time to see Salestor turn around and start flying toward them. Rose groaned inwardly. Knowing Donna, she had forced Salestor to turn back in some way and try to help her and Kabid, but all six rebels were armed, and already had their guns trained on the Salesat.

A pair of feet appeared beside her, and she heard Ytrein say, "Pity. I rather liked Salestor. Never abandons his duty, determined to see the job done to its last… but it seems that the lovely Miss Noble has other ideas."

There was a pause, which to Rose felt like an eternity. Time seemed to slow as Salestor descended until his Salesat glided perhaps fifteen feet above the ground. Then Rose's eardrums were shattered by a loud bang, as Ytrein fired his gun.

Horrified, Rose saw Salestor fall from his steed, but not before he himself fired his pistol. Ytrein jerked beside her, and violet blood splattered the ground beside her. As their commander collapsed, blood pouring from a wound in his shoulder, another rebel fired.

The Salesat jerked violently with a horrible roaring shriek. Rose heard Donna scream in terror, and then feeling as though the bottom had dropped out of her stomach, she saw her friend tumble from the thrashing, still airborne animal, and plunge fifteen feet, landing with a sickening thud.

Rose made a muffled cry, but the rebels had had enough. She felt two of them lift her onto their shoulders and throw her carelessly over the back of one of their Salesats, before one of them climbed on himself, and jabbed something into her shoulder.

As her captor took off at a gallop, Rose's vision started to blur, and she felt her limbs grow heavy and stiff; then when she realized that the rider must have drugged her, Rose's head started to pound, and as all sound seemed to deaden, her vision blackened and she fainted.

* * *

...

**Greetings from Germany! **

**Wow, that was a hard chapter to write, especially this last scene. In my experience, the two hardest things to write in any form of fiction are chase scenes and battle scenes. For that reason, I'm still not totally satisfied with this chase scene, so I'd appreciate any feedback you have to give. **

**Some of you have already guessed that it was Rose who would be captured. Believe me, there's a reason for this, and it's not because Rose is usually the one who gets held hostage. Remember that nothing is as it seems in this world, or in any of my stories, and all I will tell you now is that the Capharon rebels did not kidnap Rose for leverage against the Doctor (they have no reason to). **

**You'll have to keep reading to find out what happens. **

**For today's quote:**

"**Bet you didn't even notice, did you? Special delivery, got sent 'round today… latest model, diamond studded. They pick up signals from Venezuela."**

"**Why would you want to pick up signals from Venezuela?"**

"**Well, I don't know, but now I can find out!"**


	9. Chapter 9: Sadarin Theletaos, Part I

Chapter 9

Sadarin Theletaos, Part I

"Not one of our more pleasant trips, is it?" the Doctor muttered to no one, as he finished wrapping a bandage around Donna's wrist. Donna was completely silent in response, no miraculous consequence of still being unconscious.

"Is there anything else I can assist with?" asked the Radalan physician, who stood next to him.

The Doctor shook his head. "I've done all I can until she wakes up, but I'll thank you anyway. What was your name?"

"Ainnor, sir. Talevik Ainnor."

The Doctor gestured behind him. "I think that the soldier is in a more serious condition than Donna. You should tend to him."

Ainnor nodded, and crossed the room to another mattress, where a soldier lay that the guards identified as one Ginedel Dalbarin. He likewise was unconscious, due to the amount of blood he had lost from a messy shot-wound in his shoulder. His leather armband, helmet, and pistol lay on his bedside table. Thus far, Dalbarin and Donna were the only people known to have been present at the incident, to have survived; the three other soldiers had died.

When he heard the palace alarm sound, the Doctor left his room and immediately asked a footman what was going on, only to be given the vague reply that the guards had been summoned to the gardens. Upon hearing this, however, the Doctor immediately made his way in that direction in slight trepidation, because he knew that the gardens were where Rose liked to walk and ride in the mornings. He stopped only when he reached the gardens, which he found in complete disarray, but little news.

The gardens had been occupied entirely by guards, police, and Sestati officers, all of whom were investigating the scene and searching for survivors, and the Doctor had quickly found Lord Davinathe standing out on the patio, surveying the scene. The Doctor found, to his slight surprise, that Davinathe knew as little about what had happened as _he_ did, only that there had been a breach of security. It wasn't long, however, before the three dead soldiers were found, and Donna and Dalbarin were removed from the gardens and taken to the palace infirmary.

Since then, the guards had been ordered to search the palace and grounds, from top to bottom, for the third "Time Lord," whom the Doctor had not seen all day, and he knew that Rose generally went riding in the gardens during the mornings, and it was more than probable that she had been there with Donna. But to the Doctor's dismay, even two hours later, there had been no success in locating her.

The Doctor would have joined in the search for Rose as well, but Donna's injuries, though not fatal, were severe and needed to be tended to. The Doctor trusted that the Radalan physician was very efficient in his profession, but Ainnor knew nothing about human physiology, and therefore the Doctor had to trust the guards to locate Rose and patch Donna up himself. For once, he actually was acting as a doctor.

Her injuries were, thankfully, not as complicated as they could have been. What she, of all people, was doing on a Salesat was beyond him, but she didn't appear to have any internal bleeding, which made it much easier for the Doctor to treat her. Without his equipment in the Tardis, however, Donna would have to heal the slow way, and it wouldn't be easy. Her left arm was broken and her shoulder dislocated, she had two broken ribs and her left collarbone also had fractured. The Doctor had, to the best of his ability without advanced medicine, already taken care of these injuries. He'd already fixed her shoulder and treated her ribs and clavicle, and now, with her left ulna set, and her arm in a cast, there was nothing left for the Doctor to do but to administer medication for the pain and check Donna for concussion when she woke up.

The Doctor sighed again, and sat down next to Donna, watching Ainnor tend to the injured soldier. He wished he'd brought Martha with him, because she could take care of Donna, and he'd be able to look for his missing companion himself.

The Doctor's thoughts were interrupted, however, by the sound of the infirmary door opening and closing, and he looked up to see Lord Davinathe standing there. Davinathe crossed the room until he stood over Donna's bed, scrutinizing her with his head tilted to one side.

"How is Miss Noble?" he asked.

"She'll recover in a few weeks," the Doctor answered. Davinathe nodded.

"I'm afraid that we still have not found Miss Tyler," he said. His tone was calm but serious, and the Doctor instantly knew that Davinathe already believed the worst. "We are still searching, of course," he told him hastily, before falling silent again. After a moment's pause, Davinathe added, "Kabid Kaelis Dalbid is missing too."

"The Valdaran ambassador?" the Doctor asked in surprise.

Davinathe nodded. "I haven't informed the other Valdarans of that yet. As far as they know, she also has been requested to stay in her chamber until tonight's investigation is concluded. We need to be absolutely certain of her disappearance before taking action, and I don't want Valdar getting involved."

The Doctor couldn't say that he completely blamed Davinathe in this respect. He knew from observing Earth for so long that for a civilization that had barely scratched the surface of space exploration, risking the anger of a neighboring planet, once of far greater technology and power, was a terrifying thought. But Davinathe would not be able to hide this for very long, and the Doctor reminded him of this. Davinathe merely nodded in assent.

"I'm aware of that," he said. "And I'm going to tell them that we'll do everything in our power to recover her, assuming she was abducted."

At that moment, the door opened again, and a Sestati officer entered, and joined Davinathe by Donna's bed. The Doctor immediately recognized him as Captain Sarjeth, the official from the Greyalden Sestati headquarters. He glared at the officer coldly, but ignoring him completely, Sarjeth turned to Davinathe.

"Lord Davinathe," he said quietly, "I have something to report."

"Is it to do with the Time Lord or the Valdaran?"

Sarjeth shook his head. "No, but we found the trespassers' trail an hour ago."

Davinathe's feathery brow furrowed. "Why wasn't I informed?"

Sarjeth blinked. "It is not my fault if the guard I sent with the message failed to give it. I would have done so personally, but I immediately set out to follow their trail with several of my colleagues."

"So where did they attack from?" asked Davinathe.

"The forest, of course," Sarjeth replied coolly. "There's no other place they could have hidden this morning. "But that's not the point. We know how they got in."

Davinathe straightened, looking intense.

"About one hundred tezidals(1) into the forest, their tracks led to an open sewer line that one could enter from a hillside," Sarjeth continued. "To anyone outside the sewer, it would have looked like an animal hole. We wouldn't have noticed it were it not for the tracks. Unfortunately, it seems that the rebels were anticipating our following them there."

Something in his voice boded ill, and Davinathe frowned. "What happened? Did they shoot at you?"

"A bomb of some sort," Sarjeth said sourly. "The hole exploded the moment my colleague entered. Killed him and caused a landslide, which blocked the entrance, neat as you please."

Davinathe swore.

"Do you know where that sewer leads?" asked the Doctor.

"No, but I have someone trying to find out," Sarjeth said calmly.

"Thank you," Davinathe told him. "If that's all, you may go."

But before Sarjeth could reply, a faint groan sounded from the other side of the room, and everyone turned to look at the wounded soldier, Dalbarin, who tried to sit up, but Ainnor gently pushed him back down.

"You've been shot," Ainnor told him. "Stay still, or you'll make the injury worse."

As the physician spoke, Davinathe crossed the room. The Doctor and Sarjeth followed.

"Soldier, do you know who I am?" asked Davinathe in an authoritarian voice.

Dalbarin swallowed. "You're Lord Ferjhaal Davinathe, the Foreign Minister," he said in a hoarse voice.

"Report what you saw," Davinathe ordered.

Dalbarin made no answer, and Ainnor straightened.

"Lord Davinathe, really!" he cried irritably. "This soldier is seriously injured. You must not distress him!"

"Yes, and a group of armed trespassers broke through our security today," Davinathe shot back, glaring at the physician, "and two of our alien guests are missing. This cannot wait." He turned back to Dalbarin. "Tell me, private, what did you see?"

Dalbarin looked from Davinathe to the Doctor and Sarjeth, and his gaze also fell upon Donna, who was still unconscious. He then swallowed again. "I was in the garden with Miss Noble and the other soldiers," he whispered. "I assume you found them?"

"Never mind them," Davinathe said curtly. "What happened?"

"The trespassers leapt out at us from the woods and started shooting." Dalbarin paused then, and shut his eyes, possibly fighting the pain from his injury. After a moment, he relaxed, and continued weakly, "They were masked, and wore black armor. That's the uniform of a Capharon soldier, is it not?"

"If the soldier is wearing a blue tunic beneath it, yes," Sarjeth replied. "I think we can safely assume, however, that they were Capharonan or at least Capharon sympathizers."

Dalbarin nodded.

"Was Rose Tyler with you?" asked the Doctor urgently.

Dalbarin's tired eyes turned to him, and apart from the exhaustion plainly visible in his features, his expression was inscrutable, even to the other Radalans. "Is she the Time Lord with the yellow hair?" he asked.

The Doctor nodded.

Dalbarin shut his eyes again, and the Doctor waited in wretched suspense, but after a few minutes, the soldier shook his head. "No. Your companion was not there."

The Doctor wished he could relax, but this did nothing to reassure him.

"What about Kabid Kaelis Dalbid?" demanded Davinathe. "The Valdaran? Was she there?"

Dalbarin shook his head again. "I don't know. I didn't see her."

The Doctor shut his eyes. He supposed that it was possible that Rose had just gone inside the palace somewhere and somehow had not been seen yet; the palace of the Pratethate was, after all, a very big building. But the Doctor couldn't shake the feeling that in spite of Dalbarin's assurances to the contrary, Rose had been there at the scene of the attack.

"There's still the possibility that Dalbid was taken," Sarjeth said to Davinathe, as Dalbarin sank back into the bed and shut his eyes. "But that is odd about Miss Tyler."

As they backed away from Dalbarin's bed, the Doctor asked "You think that he was right, then, when he said that Rose wasn't there?"

"I don't see how he could have not noticed the presence of an alien there," Sarjeth said.

"Has Lord Theletaos been informed yet?" asked Davinathe.

"Yes." Sarjeth rolled his eyes. "When he heard that Miss Tyler and the ambassador had vanished, all he did was begin demanding that we find Raquin Nahtavid."

This statement seemed to give Davinathe pause. "Where is Lord Nahtavid?" he inquired, as though Raquin's absence had only just occurred to him.

"No idea," answered Sarjeth. "Nobody's told me anything." He and the Doctor both frowned at Davinathe, confused by his thoughtful expression. "Does it matter?"

Davinathe's gray eyes met the other's eyes. "Yes, captain," he said quietly. "Yes, it does."

* * *

The first thing Rose became aware of when she woke up was that her head was pounding. With a groan, she tried to reach up and rub her temples, but discovered that she was unable to lift her hands, or move at all, but that probably was a good thing, because the next thing she became aware of was that she also felt dizzy. Then she became aware that a loud roar filled her ears, the ear-splitting sound of a Halictid's engines, and she weakly tried to sit up, but then she realized that her hands were bound behind her back.

Then it all came back to her: the ambush, the insurgents, Kabid, the dead soldiers, Dalbarin's betrayal… Donna's accident…

Rose sighed and leaned back, worried for Donna and the injuries she must have sustained, but equally terrified for herself. She discovered when she opened her eyes that unlike the Sestati, the insurgents had not blindfolded her for the journey to wherever they were taking her, but her vision was blurred and when she tried to clear it, her headache magnified, and Rose shut her eyes again, willing the pain to ease.

Then she felt someone shuffle past her, and she opened her eyes a little to see the avian build of one of her captors standing in front of her.

"The drug's wearing off," the Radalan said to someone Rose couldn't see.

Rose couldn't hear the other's reply over the roar of the engines. After a moment, the insurgent leaned down. "We'll land in two hours," he told her quietly. "I'd keep quiet and obey every command if I were you."

Rose said nothing, but shut her eyes again. Her head pounded harder than ever, and she felt more dizzy than ever. Turning herself over so that her natural hand would have better circulation, she leaned her head on she knew not what, and fell back into the darkness.

* * *

Half an hour after Dalbarin regained consciousness, the Doctor still hadn't heard any news of Rose, and the longer he waited, the more likely it became that she had been taken captive. He wished Donna would regain consciousness and tell them what happened, but until she did, he would have to do what he especially hated: sit and wait.

Davinathe and Sarjeth had moved to another corner of the infirmary, still discussing Lord Nahtavid and his whereabouts. The fact that Raquin had, upon Lord Theletaos's command, assigned his Time Lord guests bodyguards was news to the Doctor, but laying aside this monumental failure to protect Rose and Donna, he felt that finding Rose and Kabid was of greater priority than disciplining Raquin.

"Doctor," Davinathe suddenly called, "I don't suppose _you_ have seen Lord Nahtavid today?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I haven't seen him since yesterday morning."

"Hmm." Davinathe turned his icy gaze to the window; the afternoon sun beat down upon Yaldego, but the Doctor, even at this distance from the glass, could see the guards still investigating the gardens in the summer heat.

Then a low groan brought the Doctor's attention to the patient in the bed he stood by, and he leaned closer just as Donna's eyes flickered open. She tried to sit up, but then recoiled, and leaned backward again, panting slightly. The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled a hypodermic syringe from his pocket, which he pulled the cap off of and promptly injected into Donna's right shoulder. Donna barely seemed to notice, but the Doctor supposed that the pain in Donna's left shoulder and arm far surpassed the injection. Talevik Ainnor, who was watching in interest from Dalbarin's bed, curiously asked what was in the syringe.

"Just a pain killer," he told Ainnor. "Fast acting, so you won't have to put up with the pain for more than a few minutes, Donna."

Donna nodded, but said nothing. The Doctor could see sweat accumulating on her forehead. She leaned backwards, relaxing into the cushions, as Davinathe and Sarjeth approached. The Doctor guessed that as in Dalbarin's case, the Foreign Minister and Sestati lieutenant wished to question Donna, but when they stood next to Donna, they both looked at the Doctor, and he realized that they were waiting for him to interrogate her.

The Doctor didn't want to make Donna relive the events so soon after they occurred, but every second's delay made Rose's disappearance more alarming and more urgent.

"Donna," he said to her gently. "Do you remember what happened this morning?"

Donna closed her eyes, and a bead of sweat rolled down her face, but she nodded.

The Doctor leaned closer. "What did you see?"

She then opened her eyes again, and whispered, "Five Radalans in black armor… they attacked us."

"I know." The Doctor glanced toward Dalbarin's bed, and he noticed that the soldier seemed to be watching him and Donna. "But can you tell me who they were, and who was there?"

Donna muttered something indistinguishable, and the Doctor sighed, willing himself to be patient. She was, after all, in terrible pain, and perhaps couldn't think straight.

"I didn't catch that," he said.

Another bead of clear fluid rolled down Donna's cheek, but this time the Doctor thought it was a tear, rather than sweat.

"The soldier, Salestor, tried to get me to safety," she whispered, "but he was shot mid-flight, and I don't know first thing about riding those flying animals."

The Doctor nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"We saw what happened before I fell, though," she said. "I don't know who they targeted… only what they took."

"And what did they take?" the Doctor asked urgently. "Donna, what did you see? What did they want?"

Donna moaned. "They were after Rose or Kabid… I don't know who the actual target was. Either way, they had tied up both of them when Salestor and I saw them, and that's when he was shot." She looked at the Doctor imploringly, as though begging him to understand. "The rebels took Rose, Doctor. They took both of them."

Though this was no longer unexpected, an icy claw seemed clench both the Doctor's hearts. Just weeks after retrieving her from the Void, Rose had been taken from him again, and that tore through the Doctor like a knife… and mixed in with that horror came another feeling, a burning question: _Why?_

Davinathe stared at Donna, though he kept his composure. The Doctor, welling in his horror and his anger, still stared at Donna and failed to see the Foreign Minister's eyes turn away from the alien guests and fall upon Dalbarin, who had sat up when Donna woke up, and was now sitting frozen in his bed. Sarjeth, however, did see Davinathe's cold stare, and he rounded on Dalbarin.

"You said that the female Time Lord was not present!" he snarled. The Doctor and Donna jumped, and both looked at the injured soldier.

Dalbarin didn't flinch, but stared icily back. Sarjeth snarled angrily, but Davinathe stepped forward.

"You could not have failed to notice her," he said coldly. The Doctor looked between the two Radalans, unnerved by Davinathe's expression. Sarjeth's temper was unimpressive and only intimidating to those of a nervous disposition, but Davinathe's calm, icy rage was terrifying. The Doctor realized that this was the first time he had seen Ferjhaal Davinathe truly angry, and he looked at Dalbarin, wondering what would happen to him.

"Doctor," Donna whispered, but Davinathe cut her off.

"You will face a court martial for failing to protect a guest of the Premier Warlord," he said coolly. "You also face court martial for lying to your commanding officers. Have you nothing to say?"

Dalbarin did not reply, but maintained his defiant expression.

"Doctor," Donna insisted, "That soldier… he's one of them."

The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to Donna. She swallowed, and nodded at Dalbarin.

"He betrayed Rose and Kabid," she said quietly. "I saw him giving orders to the rebels. He's the one who shot Salestor."

The next moment seemed to last for hours. Everyone in the vicinity, including Talevik Ainnor, who was starting to back away from his patient, stared at Donna for a long time. Then, as one, everyone looked at Dalbarin again. The Doctor was certain that were it not for his feathers, Dalbarin would have turned pale with anger and fear.

Davinathe turned to Sarjeth. "Captain," he said curtly, "Arrest him."

What happened next, happened so fast that nobody could react until disaster had struck. Sarjeth withdrew a pair of handcuffs from his belt, and took a step toward Dalbarin, and at that exact moment, the infirmary door flew open, and Lord Theletaos stormed in, accompanied by Colonel Sinadar Yadathrin, the officer who had threatened the Doctor at Greyalden.

"The traitor!" Theletaos snarled. "I trusted him! I allowed him into my personal service, and all along, he was with them!"

Before anyone could react to this extraordinary exclamation, Colonel Yadathrin froze, staring at Dalbarin, who stared back, both wearing expressions of angry surprise. But the moment in shocked silence was enough for Dalbarin, who seized his pistol from the bedside table.

_BANG!_

Everyone capable of standing straightened, staring around the room for Dalbarin's victim, and in doing so, they failed to see the spy tuck his gun under his chin. Sarjeth, however, did see it, and leapt forward with an angry shout.

_BANG!_

Violet blood splattered on the wall behind the mattress, and Dalbarin sunk forward, blood dripping from his head and chin. At the same moment, Lord Deljath Theletaos keeled over backwards, blood dripping from an equally ghastly hole in his throat.

Everyone stared at the Premier Warlord, or what was left of him, in disbelief, except for Ainnor, who cried out when he saw Theletaos fall, and ran forward, turning him over to examine the wound. The Doctor, however, knew it was too late to save Theletaos, and turned back toward Donna, blocking her view of the horrendous scene.

Davinathe was the next to react. He pulled a sheet from another bed, and flung it over Theletaos's body, hiding it from view, before turning back to Yadathrin.

"Colonel, what did Lord Theletaos intend to tell me?"

Wordlessly, Yadathrin handed Davinathe a sheet of paper. The latter took it, and read it carefully. Everyone waited in suspense, as Davinathe read the note a second, and perhaps even a third time. The room fell into tense silence again, and finally, when the Doctor felt he had lost his patience, Davinathe lowered the note.

"Captain, find a footman and get Dalbarin out of here," he said sharply, pointing at the corpse. "Take him to the autopsy lab, where the other soldiers are. Say nothing of what happened, just tell the physicians there that he felt that his honor has been compromised by his failure and he killed himself."

"His name is not Dalbarin," Yadathrin said quietly.

Davinathe regarded him curiously, but turned back to Sarjeth.

"Do not tell anyone what happened here," he said sternly. "If anyone asks, tell them that the Premier Warlord is indisposed, but say nothing more than that." He then looked at Ainnor. "You, if you tell anyone about this, you'll find yourself at Kodiferan. Do I make myself clear?"

Ainnor nodded with widen, terrified eyes. Davinathe looked at Yadathrin again.

"This," he said, pointing at the Premier Warlord's body, "must be hidden somewhere."

"The research labs have chyrogenics capsules," Yadathrin offered. "We could hide him in there."

Davinathe nodded. "For the time being, no one must know that Theletaos was assassinated. As far as everyone else is concerned, he has withdrawn himself. They'll never question that, it wouldn't have been the first time."

The Doctor and Donna watched this in confusion, and Donna still looked shocked and disgusted over the assassination she had just witnessed. Davinathe continued to ignore them, however, and continued.

"As for this…" he waved the note in front of Yadathrin, "… This also must be kept quiet. But now we know who's ultimately behind this, so we can know what to expect. You know what to do."

Yadathrin nodded, and sidestepped around Lord Theletaos's body, before quitting the chamber. Davinathe looked at Ainnor.

"Go back to your office," he said curtly, "and remember not to tell anyone what happened here."

Ainnor nodded and left the room.

"What do you mean, you know who's behind this?" the Doctor demanded. "What do they want with Rose?"

Davinathe glared at the Doctor for a moment, and the latter thought that he wasn't going to get an answer, but after the Foreign Minister scrutinized him for a moment, he approached the others and handed the Doctor the note.

"It appears that this was found on Lord Nahtavid's desk," he said quietly. "Read it out loud, if you like. Nobody will hear; I had the listening systems disabled when I came in."

The Doctor took the note and unfolded it.

_To Lord Davinathe,_

_I am sorry to say that an appointment has called me away from my period of attendance, back to Achtari. Temenir will accompany me. I take no leave of you, but I give my regards to Lord Theletaos. Sadarin also sends them. _

_Raquin Nahtavid_

_P.S. Ha, ha, ha. _

"I can't say that I appreciate Nahtavid's sense of humor," Davinathe said dryly, "but I suppose he wanted to thumb his nose at me, and perhaps cause a panic. He'll be disappointed in that respect."

"What's did that mean?" asked Donna, pointing at the note. "He went back to his domain in Achtari, didn't he? What's so terrible about that?"

"Raquin Nahtavid has betrayed Yaldego," Davinathe told her, "if he ever was loyal to Yaldego at all. He was here in Gavarik because supposedly the rebels drove him from Capharon. Now he's gone back, which means that his flight was just a ruse."

The Doctor scanned the note again. "Who is this Sadarin?"

Davinathe said nothing, but his expression was very severe and angry. The Doctor and Donna looked at each other for a moment, and the Doctor looked back. "He's one of the rebels, isn't he?"

Davinathe nodded. "His name is Sadarin Theletaos."

"_Theletaos_?" the Doctor repeated. "Is he related to Lord Theletaos?"

He glanced at the body on the floor again.

"Yes," Davinathe told him quietly. "Sadarin is his younger brother. He was disinherited by his father and exiled from Yaldego fifteen years ago, and until today, I thought he was dead." Davinathe paused. "He is perhaps the Pratethate's most dangerous enemy, he has just had his own brother assassinated, and your companion, Rose Tyler, is in his hands."

* * *

Footnotes:

A "tezidal" is a Cypnovan unit of measurement, a little longer than a meter.

**Another difficult chapter, though I planned it some time ago. Part II will be interesting to write, because we finally will meet Sadarin Theletaos, who everyone keeps talking about but who hasn't actually appeared yet. There is a twist, however, and I hope you keep reading to find out what happens. **

**Today's quote:**

"**Always the mothers! Every time!"**

**Please leave feedback. This was a hard chapter to write, and I always appreciate your comments!**


	10. Chapter 10: Sadarin Theletaos, Part II

Chapter 10

Sadarin Theletaos, Part II

Having heard nothing since his and Temenir's hurried departure from Gavarik early that morning, Raquin could only pray to all the deities of Cypnov that Ytrein's mission had been successful, as he stood outside Sadarin's office door, his fist raised to knock, but not moving. By now Davinathe would have discovered his part in the conspiracy and he and Temenir would both be on Yaldego's list of wanted criminals. Having reached his old domain in Achtari, Raquin was welcomed back by his steward and vassals, but he had no time to settle back in, though the flight from Gavarik was exhausting to him. Immediately after his arrival, Raquin changed into the black Capharon uniform, got on a Salesat and took flight into the massive Achtari Genthakl forest, not stopping until he had reached the hideout in the center of the woods.

Perhaps it was his ignorance of what had happened in the past ten hours that made him hesitate to knock on the door, now that he had arrived. If Ytrein had failed, that was that. Raquin could not go back and rectify the situation, and also Davinathe now knew that Sadarin had survived.

Taking a deep breath, Raquin finally rapped the door, and a calm voice answered, "Enter."

Raquin pushed the door open, and walked into the room, where Sadarin Theletaos, the disinherited brother of the Premier Warlord and leader of the resistance, sat at a desk which, as usual, was covered with maps of Cypnov and Yaldego, while he himself was engrossed in reading something on his computer screen. Upon Raquin's entry, Sadarin looked up, his expression impassive.

"You arrived safely, then."

Raquin nodded. "We probably already were halfway across the sea by the time anything happened."

"I'm glad to hear it." Sadarin looked back at his computer. "The news reports are saying that something happened at the Gavarik palace to raise the alarm seven hours ago, but it says little more."

"Then I assume the capture was successful," Raquin said quietly. "When something serious happens, Davinathe carefully hides it from the public. The Pratethate can't afford to show any weakness anymore."

"I hope you're right," Sadarin said, "because we don't have another shot at this, Raquin. You can't return, and only about an hour ago, the Broman navy and airforce formed a blockade around Capharon against Yaldego."

Raquin stared. "But that means…"

"Yes." Sadarin's voice was calm but unsmiling. "The war is about to begin."

At that moment, a pager by the computer rang, and Sadarin reached over and pressed a button. "Identify yourself."

"Captain Garda," a gruff voice answered. "Ytrein's team will arrive in Achtari in one hour. They have just made contact and they have successfully brought the captives."

While Raquin sighed in relief, Sadarin frowned. "Captives? You mean there are more than one?"

Garda's bewildered answer was, "The Time Lord and the Valdaran, sir."

Sadarin and Raquin looked at each other, Sadarin's expression one of surprise and Raquin's one of complete confusion. Then Sadarin asked Garda, "Why did they take one of the Valdarans?"

"I understand that Ytrein told them to. Apparently the Valdaran was with the Time Lord at the time of the attack."

Sadarin's frown deepened. "What is the Valdaran's name?"

"The second surname is Dalbid, sir."

Raquin watched in surprise as Sadarin's brows elevated. "Thank you," he said to the pager. "Have them sent here the moment they arrive."

Turning away from the pager, Sadarin stared at Raquin. "You told Ytrein?"

Raquin shook his head. "Ytrein knows nothing about the Valdarans' intentions. _I _didn't tell him to take Dalbid as well as Rose Tyler."

Sadarin scratched his ear, his expression contemplative. "In that case, I suppose an interview with the ambassadress is in order. Have Delbadar look after them when they arrive, and inform me the moment Dalbid is ready to see me."

* * *

"There."

The Doctor squinted as Sarjeth pointed at the coastline, but he could see nothing but the high cliffs and the waves crashing upon sharp-looking rocks. Shaking his head, he looked at the other, and Sarjeth sighed impatiently.

"There's a pipeline that extends close to the sea-level," Sarjeth said, pointing again. "The sewer comes out there."

The Doctor looked again, and this time, he could just see an iron pipe protruding from the rocks.

"So that's where they'll come out," he stated, squinting again.

"That's where they would have come out hours ago, if they moved at a fast pace." Sarjeth took a step forward and bent down over the edge of the cliff. "I'll send the guards down to look for any traces of them, but if they intended to flee to Capharon, it's not improbable that somebody was waiting with transport for them."

The Doctor nodded, and watched as Sarjeth barked out orders to the accompanying guards, who took flight and glided over the coast towards the targeted pipe. He wished he could be down there himself, but the Radalans were not strong enough to carry him, and he certainly couldn't get there on foot. Unable to do more than watch and wait, the Doctor leaned on a boulder, his hands shaking a little. Donna was already well enough to get up and move short distances, and once he was certain that she'd be fine without him and with her pain killers, the Doctor informed Davinathe of his intention to participate in the search for Rose that morning, and in response Davinathe had Sarjeth take him on the pursuit.

Though they were no closer to finding Rose, however, they did now know more about Theletaos's assassin. Yadathrin had easily solved that mystery.

"_You recognized him?" Davinathe had asked. _

_Yadathrin nodded. "His name was Fedazir Ytrein. He was a known Capharon mole that the Sestati has been trying to track down for nearly four months. How he got through palace security, I have no idea."_

"_He only reacted when he saw you," the Doctor observed. "And Sarjeth had him cornered. He must have known that the game was up."_

"_That seems to be the case," Yadathrin admitted. After a moment, he asked, "Who else knows about the assassination?" _

"_No one except Lord Deljath's doctor," Davinathe said, "but he knows to keep silent."_

The Doctor shook his head, as a shout from one of the guards on the beach brought him back to the present. True to his word, Davinathe had carefully hidden the death of the Premier Warlord from almost everyone. From the aristocratic attendants to Lady Aervanyn, everyone seemed completely ignorant of the assassination, although the Doctor would be astonished if Lord Theletaos's valet hadn't guessed. He supposed that Davinathe had the Sestati bully the servants into silence. But what, the Doctor wondered, was there to be gained from keeping the murder secret?

After what seemed like hours in which the Doctor dwelt on his reservations about Davinathe and his methods, as well as his fear for Rose, one of the guards returned from the sewer entrance, dusting his hands on his tunic.

"Well?" Sarjeth demanded.

"Somebody passed through there at least three or four hours ago," the guard told them. "I saw no tracks that suggested that the Valdaran or the Time Lord were present."

"That doesn't mean that they weren't there," Sarjeth pointed out. Considering the information for a moment, he then asked, "How many were there?"

"Five Radalans and three Salesats. Once they left the sewer, they made their way down a trail to the coast. All trace of them vanishes from there."

The Doctor's hearts sank, while Sarjeth nodded. "As I said, if they were headed for Capharon, they either would have taken flight, or else there was transportation waiting for them. The latter is more likely, because otherwise it would take days if not weeks."

The guard scowled. "Bloody rebels. This is the third investigation I've had to do this week. Why doesn't the Premier Warlord simply crack down on them? I say we should just fling an antimatter bomb at them and then see if they're so willing to be insubordinate."

Surprised at this declaration, the Doctor momentarily forgot his concerns. "_You_ have antimatter bombs?" he asked incredulously.

Sarjeth looked bored. "Recent development."

The Doctor stared. "This planet's still in a nuclear age. You can't _have_ antimatter-powered technology."

Sarjeth didn't respond, but the Doctor still stared in astonishment. Then he remembered Davinathe's words about Taledrevan artifacts that had been left behind after the Time War. Considering this, the Doctor began to wonder what else had been left behind.

"Are we to continue this investigation all the way to Capharon?" asked the guard after a moment, bringing the Doctor's and Sarjeth's attention back to the matter at hand.

"I shouldn't be surprised if Yadathrin already sent someone there," Sarjeth said. "But I'll call him and get his instructions."

* * *

When she next gained consciousness, Rose's headache had subsided, but the surrounding darkness made opening her eyes give very little difference to her consciousness of her surroundings, but she could smell dew and trees outside, and knew that the rebels had probably taken her to their destination. It was completely silent, so she supposed that she was no longer inside the Halictid, but _where _she was, she had absolutely no idea.

She sat up and blinked a few times, allowing her to better see her surroundings as her eyes adapted to the darkness. A moment was all she needed to see that she was in some sort of wooden room very dimly lit through a window by one of the planet's two moons. She could see a white wash basin in one corner, beside a small door. Slipping out of bed, Rose crossed the room and opened this door to find a commode. There was only one other door in the room, and trying this one, she found the door to be locked, confirming her suspicions. This small room was a prison cell.

Sighing in resignation, Rose backtracked across the room to the small writing table situated before the window, sat on the matching stool, and looked outside, trying to assess where she was by what little she could see. As she suspected, she was in a forest, and judging by how much of the sky she could see, her prison was built in the canopy of the trees. She could see Gealach, the larger of the Cypnovan moons, facing down upon the forest in its half-moon phase, but her view of the forest floor was obstructed by the leaves and branches of what had to be the most enormous deciduous trees she had ever beheld; a Salesat could climb these trees like a squirrel. This helped her to better judge her rough location. She was in a Genthakl forest, which meant that she almost certainly had been taken far from Yaldego; no desert climate could sustain such a forest.

A movement outside caused her to start and turn toward the door, just as the handle turned and the door swung open. A sudden flash of light caused Rose to shield her eyes from the light.

"You're finally awake then," a soft voice said.

Rose blinked again, and the outline of a female Radalan holding an electric lantern shifted into view. She stepped into the room, and motioned for her prisoner to sit on the bed. Rose did so, and the Radalan took her seat on the stool, and set the lantern on the table. They looked at each other for a moment, scrutinizing the other with fascination. The Radalan, like the insurgents who had ambushed Rose in the palace gardens, wore black synthetic armor, but instead of a mask, she wore a black helmet similar to that of a Yaldegan soldier, except it was crested rather than spiked. The Radalan seemed to similarly be studying Rose, and after a moment, she asked, "Did Ytrein's team harm you?"

Rose raised an eyebrow. "You're unusually caring for kidnappers."

The Radalan ignored this. "My name is Delbadar Ervalon," she told Rose. "You have been put in my care for the time being. I am here to inform you of your situation, so far as I am authorized, but please, do not think of me as your captor."

"I can hardly think of you as otherwise," Rose shot back.

Delbadar ignored this too. "Think of it, Rose Tyler, as a successful relocation from the secret police and totalitarianism of Yaldego to the safety of Capharon. We are not like the Sestati, and I am determined to prove that to you."

Rose stared, unsure of what to make of this. Finally, she slowly inquired, "How long was I asleep?"

"It's been fifteen hours since you were—er—_spirited_ out of Yaldego. You were sedated throughout the journey."

"Your people took me to Capharon?"

Delbadar nodded. "I hope you are adaptable, because your residence here will be of some duration, unless I am much mistaken."

"What do you want of me? I have nothing to do with Yaldego or Capharon."

"No," Delbadar agreed, "but high officials of the Pratethate were fascinated by you and your friends the moment you arrived on this planet. Similarly, the higher-ups of the rebellion were interested in you, and they knew of your presence almost as rapidly as the Sestati."

At these words, Rose recalled how the Premier Warlord marvelled at them, and how quickly Lord Davinathe had asked the Doctor for assistance where assistance was needed.

"Tomorrow," Delbadar continued, "you will be taken before our leader, Commander Theletaos, who is very desirous to learn more about you."

"_Theletaos?"_ Rose repeated in surprise.

"You heard me correctly." Delbadar tilted her head to one side, but her expression remained unchanged. "He especially is interested in you, above your friends." She paused, as though considering what to say next, but once she seemed to make up her mind, she thus continued, "Make no mistake about it, Rose Tyler. We know the truth. We are already aware that you have consciously misled the Yaldegans to believe you to be a Time Lord."

Rose said nothing, but the shock this statement gave her showed on her face.

"I don't know what you are, or why you came to Cypnov," Delbadar added, "but I'm afraid you stumbled into a world where the wisest course is to trust no one, and never speak of what you hide… _especially _if you are in Yaldego. I should warn you, that we took the liberty of taking a blood sample from you while you were unconscious. The sample is being analyzed as we speak."

Rose said nothing, and Delbadar stood. "If I were you, I'd carefully consider how to answer Commander Theletaos's questions, when you meet him in the morning. Good day to you."

* * *

It was late at night in Capharon, but across the sea in Yaldego, it was still dusk, and Donna, who found herself only able to get out of bed with the Doctor's assistance, had opted to recover from her fall in the guest chamber. She now sat on the balcony outside, watching the sunset, terribly worried about Rose, and her arm in a sling and extremely frustrated that she was unable to help the Doctor, who had been out all day, in the investigation. But she had found that walking too far and too fast proved to be too painful for her broken ribs, and the Doctor sternly told her to remain in the palace.

Donna had heard nothing since then, but she sincerely hoped that the Doctor would return, whether today or in a month, with positive news.

However, after the sun sank behind the mountain range, the door swung open, and the Doctor appeared in the entrance. Donna carefully got up, wincing as she did, and slowly walked into the chamber, but her optimism began to fade as she saw dismay on his face.

"What's the matter?" she asked intensely. "What happened?"

The Doctor sank into a chair, his eyes downcast. "We can't get to Rose," he muttered.

Donna stared. "What do you mean? You went out to look for her today. You're gonna find her, right?"

The Doctor placed his head in his hands. "The war between Capharon and Yaldego has started," he said. "I heard the news just a few moments ago."

Confused, Donna watched him carefully, wondering why this made Rose lost to them, but it didn't take long for the Doctor to continue.

"What little evidence there is points to Rose being taken to Capharon, and early this morning the Capharon and Broman navy and airforces formed a fully-armed blockade around Capharon," he told her. "Yadathrin found out when he sent a team of DIs to make inquiries in Genicapharon. The Bromans attack any Yaldegan transport that approaches. It's like the Berlin Wall triple strength." He sighed in frustration. "It's impossible to get anywhere near the country which we only _think_ they've taken her to."

Donna cast her mind around for some solution. "The Tardis…" she began, but the Doctor shook his head.

"Davinathe still won't let me have it back," he said, now sounding angry.

Donna made a noise like an angry cat. "He wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, he would. He's determined to keep me here for some reason, but he's also convinced that if he returns the Tardis, I'll just grab Rose from Capharon and then get us as far away from Cypnov as possible."

Donna watched the Doctor, her heart filled with pity for him and his fear, desperately wanting there to be some way around the blockade, or hoping that Davinathe would soften enough to return the Doctor his transport. Swallowing, she said, "I can see where Davinathe gets his reasoning. I admit that leaving this God-forsaken planet looks like a better idea every day."

The Doctor snorted. "You're telling me." He was silent for a moment, but Donna saw resolve appear on his face. "Not that I'm going to give up. We can't get to Rose now, but while I know she may still be alive, I'm going to seize every opportunity I can to get her out of there."

Donna smiled humorlessly. "I expected nothing less."

* * *

The next morning, Rose woke to find herself staring down the barrel of a gun, which was held by one of two burly Radalans in the black armor of Capharon, both glaring at her.

"Get up," the one with the gun snarled, and Rose hastily slid off the mattress and stretched her back. The goon prodded her with his gun, and she stepped forward and allowed them to steer her from her prison cell. With the sunlight streaming in through the massive branches, Rose could see that her earlier assessment that she was in the canopy of a Genthakl forest was correct. She could see the poisonous fruits starting to ripen on the smaller branches, through which the wooden walkway she stood on wound. True to the Radalan tradition, this place was a small settlement built in Genthakl trees, the forests of which being the supposed location where the race evolved. She could see a network of buildings, bridges, and walkways in the branches all around her, and a gap between branches next to her showed staircases spiraling down the colossal tree trunks, some of which reached as high as one hundred and fifty feet. At the forest floor, she could see a few Capharon guards patrolling down a path.

"Lower your gun, Teladan!" a voice called out sharply, and Rose looked up to see Delbadar seated on a branch nearby, tapping her foot irritably.

The guard stared. "Madam Ervalon," he started, but Delbadar silenced him with a glare.

"I'll take it from here," she said. "Commander Theletaos does not need you to bully the Time Lord to his office."

Teladan lowered his gun, and stepped aside, allowing Rose to step forward. Delbadar gave her a curt nod, then briskly led her down the walkway. As they rounded a corner and the two guards disappeared from sight, Delbadar slowed, and turned to Rose.

"Sorry about that," she said sheepishly. "Teladan is a Cattisian exile who tends to get over-enthusiastic about his duties. Only a few weeks ago he tied one of our field agents to a chair and interrogated him because he was still in a Yaldegan uniform."

Rose didn't reply. Delbadar led her down further down the walkway, which ran down the tree's think branch, until they reached a platform built next to the staircase winding up the tree trunk. A wooden elevator waited by the staircase, and Delbadar opened the door and allowed Rose to enter first.

"What do you need this for?" Rose asked as Delbadar got in herself. "You lot have wings."

"Cargo, mostly." Delbadar pulled a switch, and the elevator began moving upwards. "But this is quicker. The commander is most anxious to meet you, and I daresay you feel the same way."

The elevator stopped, and they exited, to find themselves almost at the tree's very top, standing in front of a wooden bridge that crossed to the next tree. Delbadar started to cross it, and Rose followed, sparing the ground below only a passing glance. The height made her stomach turn over, and she wasn't even afraid of heights.

It seemed to take ages to cross the bridge, and Rose wasn't sure if it was her apprehension upon meeting the Radalan who had ordered her abduction, or the bridge she stood on. Either way, she felt more trapped the longer she stayed here, and more bewildered for the reason.

But once they had crossed the bridge, Delbadar began walking down another walkway, which ended at a larger wooden building built upon a massive fork in one of the tree's larger branches. A wooden watchtower extended above the building above the canopy, but Rose couldn't see the top because of the leaves. Rays of sunlight started to stream in from the branches, but all was silent as Delbadar pressed her onward, until they reached the entrance, where a guard gestured for them to enter. Upon entering, Rose simply found herself in a hall not dissimilar to one in a cabin she remembered staying in on a camping trip when she was nine, except the hall contained maps of Cypnov and Yaldego, as well as each continent. At the end of the hall, Delbadar knocked on a door to their left, and a voice told them to come in.

With a glance at Delbadar, Rose waited as Delbadar entered, and announced to an unseen person that the Time Lord captive was ready to meet him.

"Good," the voice responded. "Show her in."

Delbadar stood aside, and Rose slid into the room, seeing the leader of the Capharon Rebellion for the first time.

Though Rose now knew him to be the brother of the Premier Warlord, Commander Theletaos bore almost no resemblance. He was much taller than Deljath and had a much stronger and healthier build, and Rose wasn't an expert, but she thought that he also looked a good deal younger than his brother. His expression was as stern and authoritative as Davinathe's, but his dark eyes were softer and betrayed an intelligence that Deljath always seemed to have lacked.

Theletaos eyed Rose with great interest, as had all who had seen her or her companions. But like Delbadar, Theletaos made no comment to her obvious alienness to him. Instead, he glanced down at a sheet of green paper on his desk, and motioned for Rose to sit on the stool in front of the desk.

"I apologize for the manner in which you were brought here," he said politely. "If the abduction was completely unnecessary I would have left you and your friends alone, but circumstances do not allow for that."

Rose stared at him, but could not reply to this. Theletaos did not require it, however.

"I am Sadarin Theletaos," he said unnecessarily. "I expect that by now, you've heard of me, though any account you will have received in Yaldego will be thoroughly biased, and certainly only half-true. I am not, however, the only reputed enigma in this room."

Sadarin picked up the sheet of paper he earlier had been looking at, and looked at its contents carefully.

"They are the conclusions of the analysis that Temenir and Delbadar took of your blood last night," he said, "but these readings render you unclassifiable. There is nothing like you in Cypnov's genetic records, and there is only one pattern in your molecular structure that only one race holds in common."

Theletaos tilted his head, squinting at the and Rose saw Delbadar shoot her an uneasy glance. Knowing that her secret was out, Rose braced herself for her fate.

"You are not a Helial," he continued calmly, "but you have the Helials' regeneration cycle, as well as their knowledge." He looked up at her. "You were wise to hide this from Davinathe, although he would more likely have taken advantage of your knowledge, rather than kill you, as the earlier Pratethate Warlords would have done."

There was an uneasy silence, as Delbadar shifted uncomfortably next to her, but Theletaos's eyes never left Rose's. Finally, after a few minutes, Sadarin asked coldly, "What are you?"

Rose considered how to answer for a moment, but deciding that there really was nothing for her to say except the truth, she said quietly, "I was born on Earth; it's a planet in a galaxy about sixty-seven million light years away. Earth is in the Time Lords' former sector of space, so it has no contact or connection with the Helials whatsoever."

Theletaos raised an eyebrow. "But you are an exception. What is your connection to the Helials?"

"Only what they've done to me." Rose's voice betrayed the bitterness she still felt.

Theletoas's eyebrow remained raised, and he leaned back, scrutinizing her curiously. Rose shifted on her stool, unsure of how to continue should he ask, but he did not. Finally, Rose asked, "What do you want of me?"

But at that moment, someone rapped on the door loudly.

"Enter," Theletaos called, his eyes still fixed on Rose.

The door swung open, and a very familiar voice said, "Kabid Kaelis Dalbid is here."

Rose spun around. "Raquin Nahtavid?" she said incredulously.

"Good morning, Rose," Raquin said politely. "I'm glad to see you made it here in one piece."

Rose opened and shut her mouth several times, wanting to speak, but unsure of what to say. Finally, she spluttered, "It was you who planned that ambush!"

Raquin looked regretful. "One of the most disagreeable things I've ever done," he told her, as Kabid walked into the room looking at Theletaos with fascination.

"May I sit?" Kabid asked, and the other gestured at a second stool nearby. Taking his eyes off Rose, Theletaos turned to the Valdaran, his demeanor suddenly more business-like.

"I take it you wanted to meet with me?" he asked.

"Yes, because it appears that we have a common interest," Kabid told him. "Do the words _Etalih Innai_ mean anything to you?"

Theletaos blinked. "Nahtavid, Delbadar, Miss Tyler, please leave us."

Rose stood, and allowed Raquin to begin leading her out. But as she exited the room, Theletaos called her name.

"Rose Tyler," he said in his impassive voice, "You are to meet with me at the stables tomorrow morning before sunrise. Delbadar will rouse you and bring you there. There is something I want to show you."

* * *

**Welcome back to the world of Cypnov!**

**I am back in the United States, and I have no classes at the moment, so I can devote more time to this. I enjoyed my trip to Germany very much, and had a wonderful two months abroad, but I am glad to be back home.**

**Writing these stories is interesting, because while I have the whole story planned out, usually something happens while I'm writing it. I worked on this a little while I was in Germany, but I was stuck for a long time, because I almost messed up in Chapter 8, didn't notice until I posted it and Chapter 9, and was stuck on writer's block for a long time because of it. But now I've found a solution, and can continue. **

**All of you do well with the quotes, so here comes the next:**

"**This is persecution! Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"**

"**You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet!"**

"**Apart from that!"**

…**.**

**I'm curious about your impression of Sadarin, because I need to judge if it's the impression I intended. So please leave feedback. **


	11. Chapter 11: The Clouds Gather

Chapter 11:

The Clouds Gather

Having declared his intention of quickly locating and retrieving Rose, the Doctor had spent the night reading about Capharon and using the computer in the guest room to find out all he could about the rebels. He also kept an eye on the Yaldegan news, although they said nothing of the rebellion aside from several skirmishes that had taken place at the Broman blockade.

Donna had helped at first, but several hours after sundown, the Doctor had looked up from the computer to see that she had fallen asleep on one of the cushions. He was glad of it; Donna, however tough she was, needed to rest so her injuries could heal, something that would take some weeks. Cursing inwardly at Davinathe's stubbornness concerning the return of the Tardis, the Doctor looked back at the atlas he now was analyzing, feeling more helpless than ever.

A soft rap drew the Doctor's attention to the door, and a footman stepped in and gave a short bow. Donna snored.

"Excuse me, sir," the footman whispered, glancing at Donna, "you're wanted in the Great Hall."

The Doctor frowned and looked at the window, where he could still see one of the moons lighting the Yaldegan landscape. "It's very early," he indicated.

"Lord Davinathe's orders," the footman said apologetically.

Half hopeful that this had something to do with finding Rose, the Doctor sighed and closed the atlas, before standing and stepping towards Donna.

"Just you," the footman added. "Miss Noble is to remain here."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, but stood and glancing at Donna, followed the footman into the corridor, and down the right turn which led to the Great Hall. At the head of the stairwell there, the Doctor saw Lord Davinathe and Colonel Yadathrin there, along with several soldiers.

"What's going on?" the Doctor asked in confusion.

"We're going to Mober this morning," Davinathe told him. "If we want to get there at a reasonable hour, we need to leave early."

"Mober?" The Doctor racked his brain. "Isn't that a country south of Yaldego?"

Davinathe nodded. The Doctor scrutinized him for a moment, curious about his intentions, before asking, "Does it have something to do with finding Rose?"

Instead of answering, Davinathe continued, "We expect to be gone for several days at least, so I've arranged for accommodations in the city Sanandrias."

The Doctor nodded, and turned. "I'll go wake Donna."

"She's staying here," Davinathe said sharply.

The Doctor paused, and turned back to glare at Davinathe. "Donna stays with me," he said coldly.

Davinathe blinked. "She'll be well looked after," he said politely.

"I don't care," the Doctor retorted. "One of my companion's was abducted just two days ago, and you hardly provided adequate protection then. Donna's coming with us."

Davinathe's expression remained neutral, but he turned to Yadathrin, who leaned close, and they began whispering to each other. The Doctor waited, watching their varying expressions and trying to catch what they were saying to each other, but after a moment, Yadathrin stepped back, shaking his head, and Davinathe turned again.

"Very well," he said coolly. "Go and get her."

* * *

Commander Theletaos was already at the Salesat stables when Rose arrived early the next morning; like many of the buildings Rose had seen in Achtari, the stables were built in the canopy of the forest, and Theletaos stood next to a large black one. Raquin stood by him, holding the reigns of a roan Salesat. Theletaos was in earnest conversation with someone on his radio. Delbadar saluted him when they arrived, and Theletaos nodded.

"The facility is completely clear?" he said into the radio inside the leather wristband. "Very good. We'll be there a couple of hours."

Closing up his wristband, Theletaos turned to Delbadar.

"Thanks for bringing Miss Tyler here."

"You are taking her to see Kodiferan, then?" asked Delbadar, her face very grim. "Sadarin, is it safe?"

"Kodiferan was one of the first to be liberated," Theletaos told her reassuringly. "The facility was occupied and the Sestati guards arrested early yesterday morning."

Delbadar flinched. "The activities of those guards still will be evident," she said.

"Exactly." Theletaos mounted his Salesat. "She will see their crimes with her own eyes."

Rose stared. "What exactly are you showing me?" she asked, beginning to feel more apprehensive.

"You will understand completely when we arrive," Theletaos told her. "Now, Raquin tells me you've learned to ride a Salesat since your arrival?"

"Only on the ground, not in flight," Rose admitted. Theletaos looked at Raquin, who confirmed this.

Theletaos shrugged. "Raquin will steer the animal, then." He gestured at the roan Salesat. "Get on, both of you. We need to leave early."

Five minutes later, Rose sat on the roan Salesat behind Raquin, clutching the knob on the second saddle they had tied to the animal to keep from falling off, while Raquin skillfully controlled the animal's movements. They soared over the trees through the misty atmosphere, as thick clouds accumulated overhead, completely blocking the sunrise. A moment later, Rose felt a few drops of rain land on her face and hands, and she started to shiver.

She had no idea how long they were in flight, but Theletaos would not slow down or descend into the trees, even though the rain started to fall harder and faster. She'd be soaked by the time they got to their destination.

After what seemed like hours, Rose could see a large clearing up ahead through the fog, like a meadow or perhaps the forest's edge, and she saw Raquin take his hands off the reigns and take hold of the beast's horns. He then started to coax the Salesat's head downwards, and Rose felt them start to descend. As they passed over the last of the Genthakl trees, a large building of six or seven tiers seemed to emerge from the fog, a tower which extended as high as the Genthakl canopy. A moment later, the Salesat seemed to rear upwards, and extend its wings to parachute further downwards. Then the animal landed on a muddy road with a loud splatter, and continued galloping closer to the building, but as they approached Rose realized that they were circumventing the edifice. As they turned a corner, she saw why: there was a helipad there, with a Halictid which looked ready for take-off. Theletaos and Raquin slowed to a stop.

"Where are we?" asked Rose.

"This is my castle," Raquin said. "I'm sure you remember that Achtari is my domain. I gave the area to Sadarin to use as headquarters."

He dismounted the Salesat, and Rose clambered down too. The rain fell harder.

"Can we get out of this weather?" Rose asked him irritably.

Instead of answering, Raquin led her to the Halictid, and Rose asked if it had a heater.

"You can sit by the engine, if you like," Theletaos said, sounding weary. "It gets fairly hot there."

As they climbed inside the Halictid, and Theletaos started giving instructions to the pilots, Rose turned to Raquin. "Is anybody going to tell me where we're going?"

"Kodiferan," he answered. "It's a recently-liberated prison facility on the island Sidagon which is about an hour's flight from here. The Sestati sends political prisoners and their families to such places, to be 're-educated.'" He snorted with sarcastic disgust, and said no more, but Rose did not need further explanation to realize what he was implying. She started to feel sick.

* * *

The Halictid with which Davinathe had arranged to travel to Mober was, the Doctor supposed, a little more high-class than any of the others he had traveled in. The inside was better lit than the Sestati's aircrafts, and when the engines roared into life, it became evident that it was built with insulated walls that muffled the sound slightly.

The Doctor and Donna were shown to some more comfortable seats (arranged, as in all the Halictids they had traveled in, along the walls and not in rows) by a window near the back where it was even quieter, because the wings were just behind the cockpit. In fact, for the first time he was in a Cypnovan flying machine in which you could talk to someone without shouting.

The seats, like all chairs on Cypnov, had holes in the back for the Radalans' tails, but unlike on the Sestati Halictids, this did not hinder the seat's comfort (though the Doctor supposed that this was an accident, considering that they weren't built for humanoids). Where in an Earth airline, a tray pulled from the back of each seat, on this Cypnovan aircraft featured a panel pulled from the side like a desk on an Earth university, which generated holograms programmed to show stories (like a miniature stage performance) or feature games. Each seat also had a tray which pulled out from one of the arms, clearly for food.

"Now _this_ is posh," Donna said to the Doctor. "Why couldn't we get something like this on the way _to_ Gavarik?"

As the Doctor settled himself in his seat, Davinathe and two guards entered. As they took their seats, Yadathrin, who was seated near the front, climbed into the cockpit. A moment later, the door slid shut and a click told them it had locked, and they felt the vehicle begin to move.

A few minutes later, when they were already in the air, the pilot's voice on the intercom told them that they were a few hundred tezidals in the air, and the Halictid seemed to level out. Davinathe got up and approached them.

"Now, Doctor, to answer your question from earlier this morning," he said, "I'm sorry to say that this trip to Sanandrias is not related to the search for your missing companion."

The Doctor's heart sank, but he also straightened in anger. "Then take me back," he said sharply. "I won't stop looking until I find her."

Davinathe shook his head, smiling slightly. "I can't allow that," he said. "You agreed that if you saw the Helial artifacts, you would then decide if you would help us identify them and perhaps understand them. The research and development lab is located outside of Sanandrias. That is where we are headed today."

"You called us off the search and left your position just to look at a few gizmos?" Donna said incredulously.

Davinathe glared at her for a moment, before returning to his seat.

"I don't believe this!" Donna shot the Foreign Minister a black look. "What's he playing at? Doesn't he care-"

"No, he doesn't bloody care that Rose was abducted by _his_ enemies," the Doctor hissed. "It's quite clear what he's playing at. He wants a Time Lord or anybody from a similarly advanced civilization under his thumb. That's why he won't let me have the Tardis back. As for Rose, she was captured, but he still has me in a corner. He doesn't care what happens to her, so long as he still has access to knowledge like mine."

"But what for?" asked Donna, starting to sound scared.

The Doctor glanced at Davinathe, who was speaking Yadathrin in an undertone, so that they couldn't hear him. "He's no fool. Would he abandon his post even for a day during a time of war just to serve a scientific interest? Oh no. He's planning something, and we're about to find out what."

Few flights Donna had ever been on had gone more slowly, and none flew with a more tense atmosphere. The Doctor watched Davinathe and Yadathrin with narrow eyes the whole time, while the two officials and the guards ignored their "guests" entirely. It seemed to take an eternity (though Donna found out later from the Doctor that the flight was actually only two hours and twenty-three minutes), but the ill feeling on the plane made it impossible to speak or even sleep. Finally, the pilot announced that they were beginning their descent, and Donna breathed a sigh of relief. Ten minutes later, the ornithopter touched down, and slowed to a stop. The pilot then appeared from the cockpit, and announced that it was safe to get off.

Immediately after they disembarked the Halictid, Donna was met with a sudden, humid environment that offered quite a contrast to the dryness of Yaldego. Mober, it appeared, was a much more tropical climate, and looking around, Donna realized that the Helipad was in a forest of the largest trees she had ever seen. They reminded her of pictures of redwood forests, except these trees were deciduous trees that she guessed to be over three hundred feet high, with trunks at least fifty feet thick.

"No. Way." She mouthed to the Doctor, who also looked stunned and impressed by this feature.

"These must be the Genthakl trees I read about," he said to Donna, looking slightly cheered after the anger of the past few hours. "I read that Mober is home to one of the largest forests, and this is supposedly where the Radalans first evolved as a species."

As he spoke, a shorter Radalan in a dark green chlamys over a white tunic fluttered across the helipad toward them, stopping by Davinathe, who muttered instructions to him in a low voice. The Doctor and Donna watched this warily, and then the newcomer turned to them.

"Welcome to Sanandrias," he said in a strange accent. "My name is Yaret Saran, the head of the Sanandrias Research Lab. Minister Davinathe says you are to help me."

"In a manner of speaking," the Doctor said with gritted teeth.

"Where's the city?" asked Donna, looking around at the forest in confusion.

The Doctor pointed at the trees, and Donna looked and realized that the buildings were built inside the gigantic trees. Then again, she reflected, the trees were too big to be easily cut down, so the early Radalans probably didn't bother.

"The lab is about one hundred paces from here," Saran continued, "and you look as though you'd rather get this over with sooner rather than later, so if you would follow me…"

Seeing little choice in the matter, the Doctor followed, but as he passed Davinathe, he asked, "How long will you keep me here?"

"Until we hear your answer," Davinathe answered coldly.

Sighing in resignation, the Doctor allowed Saran to lead them across the Helipad, until they reached the roots of one of the Genthakl trees. They followed Saran around the base of the tree until he reached a stone platform in the shadow of one of the trees larger roots. Saran pulled a metal keypad from a pocket in his tunic and typed a code into it. A moment later, one of the stone panels on the platform shifted, sunk further into the ground, then slid under the other panels, revealing a brightly-lit staircase below. Saran stood aside, gesturing for the Doctor and Donna to enter first, before entering behind. Davinathe and Yadathrin followed close behind.

The passage that ran beneath the Genthakl tree, though brightly lit, seemed to have an almost forbidding feel, Donna thought, though she supposed that any underground place did to some degree. The tunnel seemed to go on for ages, spiraling further and further downwards. As they descended the staircase, Saran gave the Doctor a tour to which Donna was barely listening.

"…was first developed about seventy years ago," Saran was saying. "The research you were brought her for, Doctor, was first undertaken fifty years ago when a team of archeologists uncovered an old Helial storage facility that somehow went untouched during the Pratethate Revolution. The Lord Pratethan destroyed as many Taledrevan sites as he could find, you see."

As he spoke, Donna saw the staircase straighten, and at last she could see the end of the staircase, which featured a brick wall and a door.

"The place was full of all sorts of artifacts ranging from music players to weapons," Saran continued. "The archeologists were beside themselves, as you can imagine. It is rare to find an intact Taledrevan building on Cypnov."

They reached the door, and Saran opened a panel, revealing a scan unit, which he put his hand on. A moment later, they heard what sounded somewhat like an airlock, and the door slid into the wall, revealing a colossal, brightly lit room which she guessed to be at least two hundred feet wide. The room was filled with worktables, and Donna could see all sorts of machines and apparatuses littering these tables, where Radalan technicians in the same uniform that Saran wore examined the artifacts.

"One theory is that the site was a Taledrevan museum," Saran continued, "which would explain why some of them seem primitive by Helial standards, and why you had a sculpture in one room and starship engines in another."

Staring at the room, Donna asked, "What do you do with them?"

"Examine them, try to find out what they are, see if we can get them working, and then see if we can make them do something useful," Davinathe said.

The Doctor exhaled. "It's just like Torchwood," he groaned, which caused everyone around him to look at him in confusion for a moment. Then Davinathe pointed at a large machine with a long tube passing through a black box, which was flanked with large metal cylinders.

"Do you recognize that, Doctor?"

The Doctor answered automatically, "That's a positron generator."

"A what?" Donna asked, nonplussed.

Saran looked astounded. "It took our best scientists a month to figure that out."

Davinathe added, "And even longer to get it working."

The Doctor gaped at him. "But you can't…"

"It ought to answer your earlier question Sarjeth told me of," Davinathe interrupted, "of how a primitive world such as ours can have antimatter bombs. We probably wouldn't have this if the Helials had left us alone… I owe them a token of gratitude."

There was no sarcasm in his voice.

"What, they just left it here?" the Doctor asked incredulously.

Yadathrin rolled his eyes. "As you know, Doctor, their technology was so advanced, that they'd hardly notice if one little positron generator was left behind."

The Doctor ignored him. "Do you intend to use the bombs in this war?" he said in a low, dangerous voice.

Davinathe raised his eyebrow. "Against it already?"

"Considering what they do, yes I am."

"It hardly matters." Davinathe's voice became bitter. "The military of Relash also has a whole arsenal of them, and they've made it clear that Yaldego faces open war if we ever detonate another on or near the Dreithegan continents."

Knowing little of Cypnovan geography, Donna repeated curiously, "Relash?"

Yadathrin answered for Davinathe. "A nation which shares the South Dreithegan continent with Broma. They are a military state of impressive power, and even the Pratethate must sometimes tread carefully around the Relashians."

"The military tested the first of these bombs on an uninhabited island near Broma when the Capharon rebellion became a more serious threat," Saran clarified for the Doctor. "The Overlords of Relash and Broma were furious."

"Good for them," the Doctor said bluntly.

"But that is not why you were brought here," Davinathe said, ending the subject. "Saran, if you would show the Doctor what we'd especially like his input on…"

Saran stared at him, and shifted uncomfortably. "You mean the Etalih Innai project?"

"That's exactly what I mean," Davinathe said sharply, leveling his cold glare in Saran's direction.

Saran glanced at the Doctor, and Donna realized that he had become nervous. "What's Etalih Innai?" she asked.

"Saran, you will show them," Davinathe commanded him frostily. "You will obey me."

The scientist nodded shakily, and gestured for the Doctor and Donna to follow him. Before they were out of hearing range, however, Donna heard Yadathrin say in a hushed tone to Davinathe, "Some of the scientists are compiling a petition to end research on the project. They say it is too dangerous and too immoral."

But Donna did not hear Davinathe's answer. Saran led them to another door at the end of the room, which, like the first, featured a panel which scanned handprints.

"Very few people are ever allowed in here," he said in an undertone to the Doctor. "Etalih Innai is one of Yaldego's top-secret projects. On Cypnov, you could be executed just for knowing those words without authorization."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "And this is what Davinathe wants me to see?"

Saran shifted nervously again. "The technology seems to be beyond all our best engineers," he muttered, before unlocking the door.

The adjacent chamber was smaller than the first, but full of all sorts of machines and computers, and a couple of technicians surveying the largest artifact they had seen so far. A large, spheroid cage of metal beams stood high in the middle, high as the thirty-foot ceiling. The pointed end of the spheroid (almost like a squared teardrop) was covered with large panels of a thick but translucent teal mineral. The structure also had two large square wings of what looked like solar panels stretching out in a wingspan of at least fifty feet. Donna could see metal coils lining the inside of the beams, and on a table by the structure, a large, metal sphere lay next to a square apparatus (it looked somewhat like bombs from terrorist movies) which featured a screen flashing all sorts of numbers and equations by a spectrum which pulsated backwards and forwards.

While the Etalih Innai machine didn't look like much to Donna, she realized that the Doctor stood rooted to the spot, looking from the metal sphere to the structure. Saran handed a roll of paper to the Doctor, what looked like a blueprint of the machine, and Davinathe appeared behind him, followed closely by Yadathrin and the two guards.

"This is our project of priority," Davinathe told him unnecessarily. "It is a difficult design, and we need someone to repair…" he picked up the screen "… this, the science of which surpasses our knowledge of all known physics."

The Doctor rolled up the paper and handed it back to Saran, and he looked from the screen Davinathe showed him, to the enormous structure and back, before his eyes met Davinathe's.

"No," he said calmly.

Davinathe blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said no." The Doctor said forbiddingly. He looked at Davinathe almost as though he was seeing him clearly for the first time, and Donna saw, to her immense disquiet, his face contort into an expression she had only ever seen him wear twice: first as he destroyed the Racnoss when she first met him, and last when General Cobb murdered his daughter Jenny; the rage of a Time Lord.

Saran stepped back from him, now looking openly scared, and Donna wasn't certain if it was fear of the Doctor's inexplicable outrage, or fear of the perturbing calm of Davinathe's expression.

"I will not help you reconstruct this weapon," the Doctor told Davinathe icily. "And I think no civilized person ever would."

Davinathe didn't flinch. "You should consider that this could bring peace to all quarters. It could cause the Edrens to allow us to make the terms of the water trade, persuade the Valdarans to back off, and it may even quell the rebellion into submission. Perhaps they'd even return your friend Rose Tyler when under the threat of this device."

This did not placate the Doctor in the slightest. "There is _absolutely_ nothing you can say," he said furiously, "no justification or consideration you can present to me, which will convince me to assist you in this endeavor."

There was a long, uneasy pause, and Davinathe stepped back, his eyes never leaving the Doctor's. Behind him Donna saw Yadathrin draw a gun, and his guards follow suit.

"In that case, Doctor," Davinathe said in a formal tone, "I must place you and Miss Noble under arrest, for unauthorized knowledge of the Etalih Innai project."

The two guards and Yadathrin pointed their guns at him and Donna, and the colonel ordered them to put their hands in the air. Saran sidled away, toward the two technicians who watched the scene warily. Still aiming their guns, the guards approached the Doctor and Donna, and then pulled their arms behind their backs, handcuffing them as they had done when they first arrived on Cypnov.

"Take them to your base in Shathar," Davinathe said to Yadathrin, who bowed. "They are to be in separate cells—separate facilities, if at all possible—and are to see no one except you and the appointed guards. They are not to be in any form of contact with each other. They are to speak to no one except you or me."

The Doctor didn't resist as the guards started leading him and Donna out of the chamber. As they started to pass through the doors, however, Davinathe said loudly, "Mark my words, Doctor. You _will_ eventually help me to complete this device. I know your type. In time, you will comply."

* * *

On the other side of the planet, a party of three Radalans and one human climbed an uphill path on a hot, sunny island south of Capharon. The air was humid, but the soil was relatively dry, and this along with the heat reminded Rose of her visit to Rome all those years ago. The island of Sidagon, she believed, wasn't a large one, not much larger than the Isle of Wight, but mountainous, probably once a volcanic island.

Initially there appeared to be nothing wrong with Sidagon, but when Rose had disembarked from the Halictid, something about the place made her feel perturbed, as though something horribly unnatural existed on this island. She wondered if it had something to do with the complete silence, save for the wind through the dry grass, or if it was the fact that on a perfectly humid island the grass was dead and there were no trees. Not the smallest twitter or rustle of an animal sounded the entire ascent up the hills from the meadow the Halictid had landed in, and the further Rose climbed, the less at ease she felt.

As they wandered past a high precipice, the air took on a strange odor which seemed oddly familiar. Her companions remained in subdued silence, and Rose noticed that Commander Theletaos looked particularly severe. The farther they walked, the stronger the smell became, and as they began climbing an upward slope again, she suddenly realized that the air simultaneously smelled of smoke and of something cooking. An image of a dysfunctional spaceship in the fifty-first century back when she was traveling with the Doctor and Mickey Smith filled her mind, and Rose started to feel sick again.

Theletaos, in the lead, reached the summit of the hill first, and there he stopped, and turned to face Rose, Raquin, and Iolar, the pilot. He pointed ahead at a place on the other side of the hill.

"Down there," he said solemnly.

Upon reaching the summit, Rose immediately caught sight of what he was pointing at: A titanic, square fortress, flanked with dozens of watch towers stretched out before them, but the only thing Rose could see within its walls was a tower standing in the center. She also could see columns of smoke rising from within, which she supposed to be the source of the smell.

"Kodiferan," Theletaos told her. "The closest and most notorious example of the Sestati's reeducation facilities. There are places like this all over Cypnov."

Rose didn't take her eyes off the fortress below as Raquin and Iolar caught up.

"Yesterday," Theletaos continued, "not long after your arrival in Capharon, our allies, the Bromans, formed a blockade around the North Dreithegan continent, and one of the first things they did was liberate this place."

He took a step forward. "It's a gruesome spectacle, but we ought to see the inside, to appreciate the full scope of the tragedy."

* * *

The soldiers of Broma, dressed in green synthetic armor over red tunics, recognized Theletaos and Raquin the moment they came into their line of sight, and they simply saluted the former as he passed. Upon his asking for their commander, the soldiers said he was within, in all probability at the "funeral pyres." Theletaos merely nodded and led his party inside through the iron gate in the stone wall, and on the other side, they discovered the source of the smoke.

It was a horrendous sight. The Broman soldiers had built what Rose concluded were the funeral pyres, dozens of heaps of wood hastily put together in an empty space, and near these pyres, they had lined up fifty or sixty skeletal, featherless Radalan corpses, which they occasionally deposited upon a pyre and light. This done, the soldiers would stand by solemnly, their eyes shut and their heads bowed, as though in prayer. At the nearest pyre, an officer stood by with two soldiers, offering up his respects to the body on the stack of wood.

If death had a stench, then the fumes of burning flesh and ash were that foul odor which made her nose sting and her eyes water, and Kodiferan was full of it. Rose had seen death many times, in her travels, in battle, by sick beds, but never had she truly seen death like this: a systematic, hate-fueled machine, the factory of methodic murder.

"…as this woman's ashes rise into the atmosphere of Cypnov," the officer at the pyre said as they passed, "the memory of what she suffered at tyranny's hands will never be forgotten."

Rose shut her eyes, turning away from the scene. She had heard of such places as these—the extermination camps in Earth history, but they were history to her, and she had not experienced their pain nor even ever approached those left standing as a reminder and a warning. She had seen hundreds of people disappear into factory chambers to emerge as Cybermen, as emotionless minions created by a maniac who feared death, but the suffering and death ironically came only with their liberation. She had encountered armies of Daleks constructed from the cells of their victims, but even then she had not seen the dead themselves… only the insane, hate-filled soldiers driven by base instinct.

Never had she seen death and suffering like this.

As the clouds cleared, the sun beat down upon the place through the open roof, a vast, dusty field fortified by concrete walls and watch towers fifty feet high, and topped with panes of thick, reinforced glass slanting over the walls. The area within of more than two hundred acres contained nothing except dozens of barracks surrounding a large, circular field. There was no shade, only the unforgiving heat, the merciless sunlight, and the choking dust. The center of the facility featured a great tower from which the whole of the prison camp could be seen. Rose could see guns at the top of that tower, for any attempt a prisoner made to fly out, not that they could, for the worst part was when she saw the prisoners themselves.

As Commander Theletaos led her through the camp, Rose saw many pairs of bleary eyes suddenly appear from the barracks, peering at this alien visitor, and they then appeared themselves. Like an army of the dead, as though the burning bodies she had just seen had risen again, several dozen prisoners approached them, each one so debilitated that Rose saw that there wasn't so much as an ounce of fat or muscle on their bodies. Some had lost their feathers entirely, reducing them to wretched, skeletal creatures with pale brown skin clinging to their bones. Even the muscle in their tails had diminished, so that they were unable to lift this ancient feature of self-defense that evolution had given them—rather than curve behind them in its typical arc, their tails dragged behind them on the ground.

Suddenly, Rose felt empty and hollow… she felt _void_. These people, astonished at the ray of light which they now felt after years of death and decay—the emptiness of their existence—in her own way, she understood them: tortured until death became not hope, but cold, hard everyday reality. The Dead Space filled her memory, memories of voices repeated numbers inside her head, like a flashback: _Here there were sighings and complaints and howlings, Resounding in an air under no stars… They are without even the hope of death; Their blind existence is of such abjection That they are envious of every other fate. The world does not remember them at all…_

The agony of her old existence of near nonexistence, for so many years, and reflections of the loneliness and terror reared upon her like the scorpion upon the caged wolf, the wretched, imprisoned, suffering creature not unlike these devitalized people who stood before her. Only when they were finally at their worst, when their eyes were empty and their souls void, were they finally murdered.

Those that still had feathers, probably recent prisoners, had their wingtips clipped, so that they could not even begin to take flight—some prisoners' wings had been cruelly severed entirely—and all of them had had the tips of their tails removed. Knowing that Radalans were immune to their own toxin, Rose knew that the amputation of the poison pouches was unnecessary; it was done solely to inflict pain. All of them, old and young, were so emaciated and so wretched that Rose couldn't even distinguish between men and women. She barely even recognized them as Radalans, but as a huddled mass reduced to the starving, inferior animals as their captors had clearly seen them.

_It is futile to resist me… Rights are irrelevant. _So Eve of the Eternal had said, so did the Yaldegans now claim. Rose heard a sharp intake of breath behind her, and turned to see Commander Theletaos's grave expression of cold anger, and Raquin's outraged horror. The pilot turned his wide eyes away from the appalling scene, and vomited.

The prisoners' sunken eyes were their only features that held the slightest spark of life, but they were the first Radalans to look at Rose without awe or fear (both emotions had been crushed out of them), but with child-like curiosity. Then one of the prisoners stepped forward—one of the ones who's wings had been severed, with a missing ear and multiple scars and cuts on his face and back—and fell to his knees before Theletaos, grasping his hand urgently.

"You are the man who saved us," he cried, and buried his face into the commander's hand. Theletaos did not pull back, but rather allowed the prisoner to continue expressing his gratitude. He reached down with his free hand and pulled the prisoner back to his feet.

"You are free now. As long as I live, the Sestati will never do this to you again."

The prisoner now wept openly, and Rose felt tears prick her own eyes. _This is the dead land, This is cactus land. Here the stone images are raised, here they receive the supplication of a dead man's hand, Under the twinkle of a fading star._

However, they had their ray of light, just as she'd had hers, but the emptiness still had not abated. The vast, roaring, raging wilderness of decay and unresting thought, haunting her like those hollow eyes looked at her even now. These prisoners never had been exposed to true nothingness, as she had, but they still felt the emptiness that hatred and cruelty and despair had brought them to. _Burning burning burning burning. _Rose knew as she looked into their eyes, that along with their name and their dignity, eventually they even lost their concept of time, as their existence became one of hopeless survival day after silent day. Hours became days, and days became months, and months became years (for Rose, those years became centuries)—_She's not immortal, but she'll never age—_and their souls experienced the agony at such hopeless ness, such meaninglessness, screaming, screaming, screaming!

Never was there so great a torture, than the renting, clawing, draining persecution that made these caged wolves the very embodiments of their wretched screaming souls.

_When we had finished, the murky countryside Trembled so much, that even to think of it Still leaves me terrified and bathed in sweat. The melancholy land belched out a wind from which there came a flash of carmine light That left me utterly insensible. _

Raquin looked at Rose oddly, and she realized that she had said those words out loud, but she had no mind to explain it to him. The memories pounded inside her head, and the vile stench from the pyres and the crematories overcame all her senses… _utterly insensible…_ Suddenly, a hot, black cloud blocked all her senses, save the sensation of loss of balance, of instability, of falling… _And I fell, as a man who falls asleep. _Falling, lost to the horror and atrocities with which sordid hatred had blacked the world…

* * *

The first thing Rose became aware of was a sudden wet coldness, and she jerked awake and at up, gasping at the shock of it. Then she realized that someone had thrown a bucket of water over her, and that earlier she had fainted.

"Welcome back to the conscious realm," Commander Theletaos's voice said dryly. "You all right?"

"Fine," Rose answered habitually, embarrassed by her weakness. She looked to her left, and saw the exiled Yaldegan seated next to her, watching her with some concern.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "It was a shock for all of us. We all knew what was going on in Kodiferan, but even I didn't appreciate the full scope of it until today."

Rose didn't reply. She could still smell burning flesh, but she could also see the sunlight through the green leaves of a tree, and she felt grass beneath her, which meant that she'd been taken outside of Kodiferan. Her mind immediately turned to the horrific scene in the camp, and she reflected almost with awe upon the astounding strength with which the memories of the Void had resurfaced just now. Then she realized what Theletaos had just said, and she looked at him.

"You knew about this, and you never tried to help those men until the war started?"

Theletaos looked away, shamefaced. "There was very little that a band of rebels in Genicapharon and Achtari could do. Years back, we used to break prisoners out of Kodiferan until the Sestati decreed that each time a prisoner escaped from Kodiferan, they would execute ten remaining prisoners, the escapee's family or inmates included. We had to stop after that, and wait for an opportunity to seize the prison from the control of the Sestati."

Rose felt sick again.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he inquired. "I'm no expert in your physiology, but you don't look exceptionally normal, from what I've seen."

Rose managed a small smile.

"It's just an old would resurfacing," she said quietly. "I'll be fine in a few moments."

Theletaos nodded understandingly. After a long pause, Rose finally asked, "Why did you take me here?"

"To show you what Ferjhaal Davinathe and his Sestati have done," he answered directly, "with the full consent of my father and my brother. To make you to understand what eight hundred years of civil war and tyranny have done to this planet."

His voice, normally calm and collected, suddenly took on a passionate anger, and Rose stared at him. Theletaos's fist clenched, and he looked at the door, in deep, enraged reflection. They sat in silence for a long time, until Theletaos seemed to bring his anger back under the suppression of his calm demeanor, and he turned back to his captive.

"You don't trust me, of course," he said quietly. "You have no reason to trust me, especially after the manner in which I had you brought to Capharon. I know it's hard to believe, Rose Tyler, but I now will tell you without the smallest degree of falsehood that I do not fight for control over the Pratethate. I do not desire the seat of the Premier Warlord, and I never have."

Astonished at this speech, Rose couldn't help but ask incredulously, "Then what do you fight for?"

Theletaos's eyes met hers. "For centuries," he said, and his voice began to shake with emotion again, "Cypnov has fallen under continuous warfare, and endless suffering. Peace and freedom can only come when the nations of Cypnov unite under a law made by common consent, and the Pratethate dictators, with their elitism and their arrogance, have caused only more fighting, and as you have seen today, greater suffering and greater hatred than even the Helials brought upon us."

Rose's astonishment increased, because she could see from his eyes and his emotion, from what she had seen at Kodiferan and in Yaldego, that Sadarin Theletaos spoke only the truth. In fact, from all her experiences across the universe, such honesty was rare to behold.

* * *

**This was one of the most solemn chapters I've ever had to write in any story, and I hope I was able to pull it off. Again, please leave your opinions, especially since I'm now about two-thirds through the story. **

**Like in "Eve of the Eternal," I made a few references in this chapter. Some of it was to T.S. Eliot's poetry, and there was a couple of references to Dante's "Inferno." I though it oddly fitting.**

**I'm amazed that nobody's asked about Etalih Innai yet. It's hugely important to the Doctor's side of the story, and much of the mystery of Davinathe and Yaldego centers around it. **

**The scope of the device's power is hinted at in its name; if you like word games, look closely at it. In fact, you should try to guess at this point what two English words are hidden inside "Etalih Innai." **

**Quote:**

"**I need you to shut up!"**

"**Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?"**


	12. Chapter 12: Sadarin's Tale

Chapter 12

Sadarin's Tale

Achtari Castle, the many-tiered architectural masterpiece of the Genicapharon area, was built shortly after the rise of the Pratethate, when the Warlords placed a low ranking general there to control the uprisings in Capharon, the first Kurfurst of Achtari. Now that Kurfurst's descendant ironically involved himself in a conspiracy to overthrow the Pratethate, returning from the horrors of the Kodiferan prison camp more resolved than ever.

It was still raining in Achtari when Raquin arrived at his castle; Sadarin had immediately upon arrival at the Helipad taken his alien prisoner and returned to the rebels' central hideout in the forest, while Raquin shook his head and neck violently, spraying water everywhere before setting off down the servants' stairs and into the master bedchamber, where his valet Seirbhis waited. Immediately upon arrival, Raquin peeled his wet uniform off and Seirbhis threw a towel over his master.

"Madam Delbadar and Miss Temenir are waiting for you in the library," Seirbhis told him, as Raquin rubbed the towel over his face roughly, ruffling his feathers.

"Thanks," he said, speaking hoarsely. "Tell them I'll come directly. I can dress myself."

Seirbhis bowed, and quitted the room while Raquin began rummaging in his wardrobe for a dry tunic. After he picked out a light green one, he walked into his bathroom and turned on the water, with which he rinsed his face off wearily. Every moment he had to his own thoughts was spent dwelling on what he had seen that morning. He'd heard of Kodiferan, of course, and had known what the Sestati did there, but he hadn't appreciated the horror of it until today. Every waking moment, he saw the gaunt faces of the surviving prisoners, the bodies, and he could still smell smoke in his feathers. After greeting Delbadar and Temenir he'd have to take a bath.

The journey back had been very quiet. Sadarin was grimly set on meeting with the Overlord of Capharon as soon as possible, and Rose was lost in her thoughts. In an earlier conversation with her, Raquin saw that she was turning more favorable towards the rebellion and more disgusted with the Yaldegan regime, but still uncertain. He only hoped that they wouldn't have to wait long before she decided, because Davinathe was set on using the Time Lord's knowledge, and Raquin wasn't sure if the Doctor had agreed to help him or not. It hardly mattered, though. Sooner or later Davinathe would ask the Doctor for assistance with his secret project, and whether the Doctor refused or not mattered less. In the end, the Sestati always got their way.

Upon his entry into the library, Delbadar and Temenir stood and looked as though they were about to greet him when they saw his expression. Raquin crossed the room faintly, and sank onto the divan next to Delbadar, feeling more tired and ill than ever.

"Raquin?" Temenir asked cautiously, but not voicing the question she obviously wanted to ask, but Raquin was prepared to answer.

"It was horrible," he whispered to them. "The cruelty at Kodiferan was beyond anything you could possibly imagine, until you had seen it."

"What happened there?" asked Delbadar, looking tense.

Raquin shut his eyes for a moment, considering how to reply, but all he could say was, "There never was a greater blasphemy, never a greater mockery of life and civilization than this."

Unable to say any more as he alluded to it, he placed his face in his hands dejectedly. In the next moment, he felt Delbadar's arms around him, and then Temenir joined them, tears streaming down her face.

After a moment of silence, Delbadar asked, "What is to be done for the survivors?"

"I've sent a message here to prepare places in the castle and on the estate for them," said Raquin quietly, "and I've also sent to Genicapharon for a team of physicians to look after them. They've got nowhere to go, and need care and protection right away."

The others nodded understandingly.

"Sadarin was furious with the Sestati, of course, but not surprised," Raquin continued. "I believe he was shown Kodiferan from a distance when he first join the rebellion, although he's said very little about that."

"And the alien?" asked Delbadar. "How did she react to it?"

"She was absolutely shocked." Raquin thought back to Rose and the overwhelming effect the prison had on her. "I don't think she expected anything like this, but I think she's beginning to understand the rebellion. Perhaps she's even starting to favor our cause."

"That's good," Temenir said. "I've looked over the data from the Mober laboratory a hundred times, and I'm getting no closer. I've even allowed the Valdaran to look over it. _She_ doesn't even know. Though Rose is not a Time Lord, she seems to have the knowledge of a Time Lord, and we need that knowledge."

Raquin nodded in agreement. "Hopefully we won't have to wait long to persuade her. She might not even need persuasion. She, like any decent person who had seen that, was horrified by Kodiferan, but she also was rather impressed with Sadarin's behavior there."

Delbadar raised an eyebrow curiously, and Raquin began the story:

"_Commander Theletaos," a Broman officer Raquin knew to be named Captain Castar called from the doorway, and Raquin and Sadarin both looked up from their conversation with Rose (Raquin having joined them only moments before). "You're needed downstairs."_

_As Sadarin rose, Castar added, "Lord Nahtavid's opinion would also be helpful."_

_Raquin stood and followed Castar and Sadarin out the door, but he was conscious of Rose following him curiously. Raquin wasn't sure what he was needed for, but Sadarin wanted her to see and know everything the Sestati had done, and she seemed fully recovered from her shock earlier, so Raquin allowed her to catch up with them. Castar led them down to the front room of the building (the Kodiferan commandant's house, Raquin believed), and then behind what looked like a kitchen to a staircase that spiraled downwards into the basement. This floor was colder than the rest of the building, and lit only by a few lamps hanging from a concrete ceiling, but Castar didn't stop until he reached the heavy locked door to what looked like a cellar. Castar pulled a key from his tunic and unlocked the door, which swung open loudly, before standing aside and allowing them entry. _

_Sadarin entered first, and Raquin saw his eyes fall on something on the other side of the room, before he turned back to Castar. "The commandant and the Sestati wardens, I take it?"_

_Castar nodded, and as Raquin and Rose entered he turned on the lights. Immediately Raquin caught sight of five men in Sestati uniform seated by the back wall, their hands and wings bound behind their backs. _

"_None of us can agree on what to do with them," Castar told Sadarin. "Commander Breitheamh wants your advice."_

_Looking at the Bromans' prisoners, Sadarin stepped further into the room, and as he did, one of them looked up and saw him. This guard wore a medallion on a sash over his uniform like that of Colonel Yadathrin's, clearly of higher rank than the others, and Raquin supposed him to be the commandant. But he ignored Raquin and even the Helial-like alien, instead staring at Sadarin, before chuckling humorlessly, not the smallest guilt or remorse visible in his demeanor. _

"_Well, well, well…" the Kodiferan commandant said, his voice imperious and snide. _

_Sadarin's eyes widened with sudden recognition. "Tasanin Gredethan!" he hissed. _

"_Hello Sadarin," Gredethan said, his lip curling. "It's been a long time. I figured you were dead, but apparently not."_

_Surprised, Raquin blurted out, "Sadarin, you know this man?"_

_Sadarin's face darkened, and the habitual calmness of his demeanor vanished, so that he suddenly looked as menacing as the Gredethan. "Oh yes," he said quietly. "He and Davinathe were the ones who ordered my immediate execution without a trial."_

_Raquin looked back at Gredethan, who drew back as far as he could, looking quite proud of this, and Raquin immediately understood. He had heard Sadarin's story, of course, of how Sadarin was forced to flee his home in Gavarik for something he hadn't done. Many of the rebel leaders had heard it, including how upon his exile the son of the Premier Warlord had sworn to destroy his accusers._

"_So this is one of the men you had sworn vengeance against," Raquin surmised out loud, scrutinizing Gredethan, who let out a great snort at his words. _

"_Vengeance?" he sneered, looking at Sadarin with an unrepentant, contemptuous smile. "You didn't have the guts to kill me before, and I seriously doubt that you could stomach it now."_

_Sadarin's face contorted, and before anyone could move or speak, he drew his pistol from his belt and crossed the room until he stood over Gredethan with the barrel pressed between the latter's eyes. Theletaos was breathing hard and rapidly, looking angrier than ever, but Gredethan didn't even flinch. Raquin was shocked, not because Sadarin so obviously wanted to kill Gredethan, but because he had never seen him so uncontrollably angry. But Raquin did nothing, knowing that because Gredethan never had mercy or pity for his victims, he deserved neither himself. Castar seemed to think the same way, as he looked on indifferently. Only Rose seemed uncomfortable; Raquin saw her twitch slightly, as though she wanted to step in and attempt to stop Sadarin, but hesitant because this wasn't her concern, or perhaps because she knew that these men had to be punished for their crimes. _

_But she needn't have worried. After what seemed like hours, Sadarin lowered his gun and took a few steps backwards, until he was standing right next to Rose, to whom he handed his gun. Rose stared at him, perhaps half-expectant that Sadarin was about to order her to do the deed, but before anyone could say anything, the commandant laughed mockingly. _

"_I knew you couldn't do it!" Gredethan scoffed. "Fifteen years of exile and you still don't have the courage to execute a condemned man. You're as hesitant and indecisive as your idiot brother. No wonder Davinathe so easily gained command."_

_To Raquin's surprise, Sadarin's anger turned into a merciless smile, and he stepped forward again, so that he was standing right in front of Gredethan, and he bent over and whispered his response, but everyone in the room heard it._

"_I have too much self-respect," Sadarin told him, "to lower myself to __**your**__ level. You're not worth the bullet or the gunpowder."_

"Ouch," Delbadar said triumphantly. "So Sadarin basically turned the insult back upon the insulter? Told him that death was too good for him? Bet Gredethan loved that."

Raquin smiled for the first time in hours. "Sadarin may as well have struck him; you could tell Gredethan desperately wanted to kill him, but of course, was unable to."

He glanced at Temenir, and his amusement faded when he saw her disappointed expression. Raquin sighed; he had been afraid that she'd react to Sadarin's decision like this. "But anyway," he said cautiously, "Rose was completely taken aback by this, and when Sadarin expressed his decision concerning Gredethan, I think he may have won her respect."

"What was the decision?" asked Temenir curiously.

"They will face trial, like any other criminal," Raquin said. "Some would question that, but if found guilty (and they most certainly are guilty) both Broman and Capharon law would require their executions for their war crimes."

"So what's the difference?" asked Temenir, sounding vexed. "After all they did, do they deserve the benefit of a trial?"

Raquin considered his answer, knowing his sister's disposition. Ever since they learned of their mother's summary execution at the Sestati's hands (Raquin was only an infant, and Temenir not much older), she had always been the more angry and impulsive of the two.

"That is not for one man to decide," he declared, "but on the other hand, should the law treat them differently from any serial killer? For that is what they are, but if they were simply murdered upon their capture, the Pratethate would hail them as heroes and martyrs. They deserve no such attention."

Temenir said nothing.

"This course of action would honor justice while exposing the Sestati's crimes for the whole of Cypnov to see," Raquin continued. "You see, sister, they appeared to fear the loss of glory far more than the loss of their own lives; they hate themselves as much as their victims, and so I believe that they want to die, but be remembered with awe." His voice shook with disgust. "This way there will be no glory to their name. They'll die in shame and disgrace. Can you think of a more fitting punishment?"

* * *

Like the Sestati prison at Greyalden, the prison at Shathar appeared to be on the outskirts of a small town about half an hour's distance from Sanandrias. Like Greyalden, Shathar was eerily quiet, except for the occasional distant shout or scream from another room. This time the Doctor didn't flinch. What Davinathe was planning for Capharon and perhaps even the Valdarans appalled him, and he was further stunned that the Helials had left such a heinous and sophisticated weapon on Cypnov. For the first time, he was glad that Rose was in Capharon, because now the Yaldegans couldn't prevail upon her knowledge; she surely would know how to repair it just as much as the Doctor did, and this way the Sestati couldn't torture or threaten her into complying… unless the Capharons similarly wanted Rose to build them one as well.

This unsettling thought caused the Doctor to fear very greatly for what would become of them, whether he or Rose would give in first, and how much damage would be done because of them.

Torture and threats… _"Mark my words Doctor… In time, you will comply."_ The Doctor was no stranger to Davinathe's meaning. Glancing at Donna, seated next to him with her broken arm in a sling while Yadathrin spoke to the warden, preparing their separate cells, he felt less certain that he could hold out… that he could thwart Davinathe. Despite his disquiet concerning Rose's location and safety, the Doctor suddenly felt even greater fear for Donna, because while Rose's safety was unknowable, Donna's was nonexistent.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, interrupting his ruminations.

The Doctor could not help but admire the lack of fear in her voice, but he didn't know how to answer her question, and said so.

"I shouldn't have brought you along," he added, looking at his worn trainers.

"What do you mean?" asked Donna sharply.

"The science involved in this is way beyond them," the Doctor said quietly, "but it's not beyond me, and they know it. They need me alive and well, but there's no telling what they'll do to you in order to coerce me into complying."

The Doctor was surprised, and yet not surprised, by Donna's reaction. She seemed to have already realized this herself, and so did not reply to this. Instead, she calmly said, "You said that it's a weapon. How bad is it?"

The Doctor glanced at the guards and Yadathrin, who hadn't noticed them talking. "Bad doesn't cover it," he whispered. "The destruction they could inflict…"

He stopped, unable to continue, but rather thought fearfully of the diabolical fate that this world could meet in the near future. Donna, however, seemed to get the gist. Her expression became steely, and she turned so that she was looking directly into the Doctor's eyes.

"I don't care what they do to me," she said harshly, causing the Doctor to start. "You are not giving in and building it, because of what they do to me. If you relent because Big Brother Davinathe Stalin hurt me, I swear there won't be much more harm they can do you, by the time I'm finished with you."

Before Donna could continue, however, she felt something hard and heavy strike her on the back, and she jerked forward, gasping for breath, as seconds later one of the guards also struck the Doctor with the butt end of his rifle, causing him to fall off the bench and onto the concrete floor.

"Stop talking!" the goon snarled.

Almost paralyzed by the throbbing welt he could feel forming on his back, the Doctor could only raise his head, to see a pair of taloned, three-toed feet in front of him.

"The warden has prepared a cell in here for you, Doctor," Yadathrin's voice said above him, "and one in the Tower for Miss Noble. Once sent there, you will not see or speak to her again unless you change your mind. You have one last chance to return to Sanandrias without further incident. We could forget this whole thing."

"Go to hell," the Doctor heard Donna hiss. Someone let out a loud howl somewhere above them.

The Doctor couldn't see Yadathrin's expression, but he heard his amused reply. "Very well. Welcome to hell." Turning to the warden, the colonel said, "Take her away."

The Doctor could only turn and watch as the warden and one of the two guards dragged Donna out of the room. She didn't resist, but shot the Doctor the same determined look that he knew meant, "Don't you dare." Then they disappeared, and the Doctor still unable to stand without cringing in agony, but left with the horror of knowing that this could very well have been the last time he'd ever see Donna.

* * *

The lab was always noisy, but among the hisses of boiling chemicals and the din of the many mechanisms, the one sound that interested lab assistant Shafinok Glinfindil was the sound of the ticking clock. He could not look at it too often (the Sestati watched every movement in here, and suspected every appearance of nervousness or restlessness), but whenever he could afford an innocent glance in that direction, he took advantage of it.

Taking a notebook in his hands, Glinfindil scrutinized the enormous glass tube before him, and glanced at the clock.

"Time of experiment," he said out loud, writing down a note, "fifteen hundred hours."

Fifteen hundred hours… Cypnovan midnight. Glinfindil could not show restlessness, but he still felt it, and felt, for perhaps the thousandth time in his life, extreme gratitude that the Sestati was not psychic. If Davinathe's Thought Police actually could read thoughts, the rebellion would have been crushed before it even started, and he would have gone down with them. But after what he had seen today, he was extremely impatient to get home, his true reason for looking at the clock.

Glinfindil had worked in the lab for nearly a year now as a research assistant, not high-ranking enough to be entrusted with confidential government information concerning the artifacts he worked with, but high up enough to see and understand things that the Sestati wouldn't want the public to know of.

The Etalih Innai project, however, that was different. He knew it was being built in a restricted and highly secure section of the lab, and he could not even approach the section without being closely watched (otherwise he would have risked getting a closer look at it ages ago). Rousing the smallest suspicion from the Sestati would blow his cover, and so he constantly had to be careful.

He had, however, caught a glimpse of the thing they were building one day as Yaret Saran quitted the room. He'd only seen enough to know that it was very big and sinister-looking, but nothing to bring him closer to solving the mystery. Yet he noticed that Saran and several other scientists seemed uncomfortable with the project, as did some of the senior technicians, the few who actually knew what Etalih Innai did. Others seemed to have guessed, but refused to speak of it, fearing the Sestati over the immorality of the project.

Saran, Davinathe's puppet scientist who had given the tour to the two Time Lord aliens, stood nearby, looking over one of the DNA blueprints they had constructed during the afternoon. It was yet another experiment that Glinfindil, a mere assistant, was not told the nature of, but he had long since learned not to ask. There were many things the Sestati kept secret, but he was here for information, not to blow his cover. But one thing he could fish for was information concerning the arrest earlier that day which all of the lab workers had witnessed.

"What sort of aliens were those visitors?" asked Glinfindil, trying to sound innocently curious.

"Don't ask questions," snapped Saran, but after Glinfindil's mumbled apology, he relented. "They were Davinathe's Time Lord guests."

Feigning surprise, Glinfindil said, "I thought the Time Lords were some sort of Taledrevan legend."

Saran shrugged. "They're not Edrens or Alkatrans, and (thank every god of Cypnov) they certainly aren't Helials. If they say they're Time Lords, we have no reason not to believe them, and Davinathe says so, so it must be true."

"If you say so." Glinfindil pretended to have lost interest, but he sighed inwardly with pity as he watched Saran work. If anyone else had spoken, he would have thought this last bit to be cynical, but Saran was no hypocrite. He truly believed in the Pratethate.

Having finished with DNA blueprint, Glinfindil remembered that Saran's next instructions was to place a tissue sample in the scan unit, so he crossed the room to a wall of what looked like large white drawers with control panels.

"Have you got the Proliferator ready?" he asked.

Saran nodded. "It will reach capacity in forty-three seconds."

Turning back to the capsules, Glinfindil called out, "Does it matter which body we collect the tissue from?"

"No," Saran said absently, and Glinfindil began to open the nearest tube. "Use any of them."

The drawer opened and the cryogenics capsule extended outwards, revealing a body bag, which Glinfindil started to open. As he did, Saran looked up to see what he was doing, and cried out, "Except that one!"

But he was too late. Glinfindil had already caught sight of the cadaver's face.

"Great Verkata!" he whispered, as Saran hastily ran to his side and pretended to examine the body (so as to appear to have noticed nothing unusual), before closed the bag, before shoving the capsule back inside the wall. "Wasn't that…?"

If the total fear on Saran's face wasn't answer enough, his reply certainly was. "You weren't supposed to see that."

Glancing around for any cameras, Glinfindil adopted an innocent voice that was just loud enough to be audible, "That one's no good then? Probably the tissue's too infected." Turning back to Saran, he asked quietly, "How long has he been dead?"

Saran turned away. "They brought him in a few days ago," he hissed. "Please don't tell anyone what you saw, or it'll be my head on a platter. There's been enough trouble here today as it is."

Glinfindil bowed his head. "Of course."

"Thank you," Saran muttered sincerely. "I hope they install the lock for that capsule tomorrow. Get a different body."

Glinfindil nodded and obediently turned back to the cryogenics capsules, glancing at the clock again as he did so; he now was more impatient to get home than ever.

* * *

"This is appalling!"

Kabid Kaelis Dalbid threw the report from Kodiferan across the desk, causing the papers to scatter, and she glared at Sadarin Theletaos, who didn't even flinch.

"Surely you already knew about it," he said calmly as he began gathering up the papers.

"We knew there were such places," Kabid admitted, "but the scale of it! _How_ _dare_ _they_?"

Sadarin nodded. "I know," he sighed. "I was as horrified as you are now when I went there… it was even worse, because I saw the dead and the victims myself." He paused, closing his eyes sadly as he reflected on the scene at Kodiferan, before adding, "This makes the whole Etalih Innai project even more worrisome. If they are capable of this, what else are they capable of?"

Kabid leaned back, now becoming more dispirited than angry. She shook her head slowly, and rubbed two of her three eyes in frustration. "I've looked over the data Temenir showed me several times, Sadarin, but I'm afraid I've never seen anything like it."

Sadarin exhaled. "I was afraid you'd say that, but perhaps the Earth alien Rose might be able to identify it."

Kabid squinted at him. "Is this why you brought her here?"

Before Sadarin could answer, however, a loud rap brought his attention to the door, and he called out for the visitor to enter. The door swung open and Raquin stumbled inside, shaking water from his feathers, and shivering violently. Before Sadarin could comment on his disheveled appearance, however, Raquin sat on a stool next to where Kabid was standing, and said, "Sadarin, I've just heard from Shafinok Glinfindil. The Premier Warlord is dead."

Sadarin's eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, he stared at Raquin blankly, as though he had not comprehended what he had just been told. For another uneasy few minutes, Kabid and Raquin stared at him, waiting apprehensively for him to speak, but Sadarin was motionless, still processing the announcement. Then at length, he began to recover himself, and drew in a deep breath, and said almost shakily, "Deljath?"

Raquin nodded. "Glinfindil found him in a cryogenics tube in the Sanandrias R&D lab. He'd been shot. From what Glinfindil wheedled out of Yaret Saran, Minister Davinathe had his body hidden and kept his murder secret for the past few days."

Sadarin turned away, his demeanor showing shock and great regret, and Raquin felt a stab of sympathy, for despite the many atrocities Deljath Theletaos was responsible for, he was Sadarin's brother and childhood friend, before the question of their inheritance came to question. After another long moment, Sadarin turned back and asked, "Do we know who killed him?"

"No." Raquin paused for a moment, before adding, "I'm sorry."

Sadarin shut his eyes again, his regret more pronounced than ever, but he said nothing except, "Thank you for telling me this. Is there anything else Glinfindil had to tell us?"

Raquin nodded again. "Yes, and this concerns Rose Tyler. You might want to send for her."

The regret and grief hadn't quite left Sadarin's face, but now he looked curious. "Is Delbadar here?"

"Yes, she came about an hour before I got Glinfindil's message."

Sadarin nodded and pressed a button on his pager.

"Delbadar," he said loudly, "please bring Miss Tyler to my office."

Half an hour later, Delbadar and Rose arrived, the former looking confused and this new appointment, the latter apprehensive when she saw Sadarin's, Raquin's, and Kabid's grave expressions.

"Come in, Rose," Sadarin said in a serious but almost gentle voice. "You're probably wondering why I sent for you this time."

At a gesture from Raquin, Rose sat on one of the stools. "A bit curious, yeah," she replied.

Sadarin leaned forward over the desk, so that his chin was resting on his laced fingers, and he said, "Just before we left, you mentioned that though you have no connection to Cypnov, you are so heavily entangled in this conflict that you'll have to choose a side sooner or later."

Rose frowned. "You also said that you weren't going to force me to choose a side," she reminded him.

"So I did," sighed Sadarin, "but while _I _will not make you decide, circumstances beyond my control might. You need to make that choice quickly, because something unexpected has occurred of a disquieting nature, and it concerns you."

Rose looked more confused than ever, but Sadarin did not wait for her to inquire.

"A few minutes ago," he continued cautiously, "Raquin received intelligence from a credible source that the Doctor and Donna Noble were arrested in Mober this morning by the Sestati."

"Arrested?" Rose repeated in stunned disbelief. "Why?"

"Why indeed?" Sadarin scratched his forehead, probably gathering his thoughts. "The spy, Shafinok Glinfindil, reports that they were shown something in a heavily restricted area of the Sanandrias R&D Lab, and Lord Davinathe and Colonel Yadathrin were both present." A quick glance at Rose told him that she recognized the names, and so he continued. "Shafinok did not see what they did to offend Davinathe, but he saw them being led away by two of the secret police, and he heard Yadathrin give orders to take them to the Mober Sestati prison Shathar."

A look of sudden suspicion crossed Rose's face. "What's in this lab?" she asked.

It was Raquin who answered. "It's filled with thousands of artifacts left behind after…"

"… the Helial withdrawal?" Rose finished, looking tired and upset. "I thought that might be it. A couple of weeks ago, the Premier Warlord asked the Doctor to help his scientists identify and analyze Helial artifacts."

Sadarin leaned back. "We already know," he told her. "Undoubtedly this is why the Doctor was in Sanandrias this morning. We've learned in the past few months that the Yaldegans are working on some top-secret project there, and Glinfindil, who's a lab assistant there, has been trying to find out what it is. He's not allowed access to the restricted area, but he believes that the Etalih Innai project is located there."

"Etalih Innai?"

"That's the code name for their project," Sadarin clarified, "and just about all we know about it." He glanced at Kabid. "By an odd sort of development, the Valdaran delegates also have been trying to find out what it is, and the Yaldegans' intentions with it."

Kabid nodded and spoke up. "The intelligence committee of the Valdaran Senate intercepted a wavelength from Gavarik a few months ago which mentioned this project. They could see that Cypnov is on the brink of civil war, and they put me up to this when they found out that Etalih Innai has a connection with Taledrev."

"But the Yaldegans discovered what they were doing," Raquin added, "and removed the Valdaran delegacy to the Premier Warlord's palace in Gavarik."

"Officially this was done for our own safety, you know, to protect us from the Capharon insurgents." Kabid grimaced. "Of course, the real reason was to watch our every move without provoking the Senate into action. But I couldn't give up on this, so a few weeks later I found that the palace gardens were not bugged."

Rose nodded, remembering Kabid's tip about the safest place to have a private conversation in the palace.

"Shortly after you arrived," she continued, "I intercepted a wavelength from Broma which revealed Capharon's full intention to go to war against Yaldego. Realizing that under the Yaldegan's watchful eye, I'd never find out what they were hiding, the Senate told me to try to make contact with Capharon and Broma without the Sestati knowing."

"We picked up that signal," Sadarin added. "Apparently Valdarans wanted us to know that bit."

"I also overheard Raquin speaking to Temenir a couple of days later," Kabid continued, "and discovered their plans to abduct you."

At this, Rose sat up straight, realizing the full implication of Kabid's story. "You _intended_ to be abducted with me!" she cried, looking half-shocked, half-impressed.

Kabid nodded. "It was risky, but it was the only way I could proceed further."

Rose stared at her, still looking confused and almost overwhelmed at this revelation, but after a moment processing it, she asked curiously, "But what does Valdar want from all of this? It's hardly your affair."

Unabashed, Kabid said, "Valdar and Edre have been allies for over a hundred years, and both world authorities want to ensure the safety of our merchants and the water trade. I might add, if Etalih Innai is a Helial weapon, then the safety of Valdar and Edre could come into question to. We don't know how powerful it is, or how wide it's range if it is a weapon."

Delbadar, who had been sitting quietly in a corner throughout all this, spoke up at this point. "How much does everyone know about each other anyway?"

"In a world where everyone spies on each other?" Sadarin asked lightly, but Rose did not miss the cynicism. "On Cypnov, it is no longer a matter of who knows the truth, but who can first use the truth to manipulate the situation the most rapidly."

"And this artifact?" Rose asked.

"Raquin, Temenir, and I have all looked over the data that Shafinok Glinfindil has managed to send us," Kabid said. "None of us have any idea what it is, but given the Sestati's history, I think it's pretty clear that it's extremely powerful or destructive."

"Ah." Rose now looked completely comprehending, and she turned back to Sadarin. "Then this must be why you had me brought here. You can't identify it, Temenir has no idea, and even the significantly more advanced Valdarans can't identify it. You need someone who has scientific knowledge on the level of the Helials or the Time Lords."

Not even attempting to lie about this, Sadarin nodded.

"And if Etalih Innai is a weapon of such power as you fear," Rose continued, "what do you intend to do with it?"

"My instructions come from Valdar," Kabid said, "but I believe they'd confiscate or destroy it."

Rose looked at Sadarin, who nodded. "Frankly, I don't think anyone on Cypnov can be trusted with Taledrevan weaponry, given our history. If that turns out to be the case, then I also think we should attempt to get the Doctor and Donna out of the Sestati's grasp as soon as possible. When they want information out of someone, Rose, they always get it. Sooner or later, they'll force the Doctor to comply. The sooner we know what the Yaldegans are planning, the sooner we can help your friends."

When Rose didn't answer, Sadarin looked directly at her, and said, "Rose, please help us."

There was a long pause, in which Rose scrutinized the Capharon leader and the Valdaran with narrow eyes, clearly deciding whether she should trust them or not. Then she swallowed, and stood.

"Okay," she said calmly, "then we'd better get to work."

* * *

Hours later, Rose sat in her room, just recently given to her once she declared her intention of assessing all she could from Glinfindil's data. Kabid had given Rose a copy of the report, telling her to take all the time she needed to look over it, and Sadarin told Delbadar to relocate Rose to a quieter room where she'd be free to move in and out as she pleased.

Thus Rose became a guest of the Capharon rebellion rather than their prisoner, a change which she felt more comfortable with than she had in Yaldego, because of her experience earlier that day. Perhaps it was because Rose truthfully had know very little about the Capharons even after all the research she'd done until today, and she'd already distrusted Davinathe. All she had known about the rebellion prior to her visit to Kodiferan was a highly biased account given by Davinathe. Rose had always known that there could be only merit enough between Davinathe and Sadarin to make one side at all good. After today, she was inclined to believe that the merit was Sadarin's.

It wasn't just viewing the Sestati's crimes at Kodiferan that led Rose to this conclusion, but also witnessing Sadarin's reaction when he was brought face to face with the Kodiferan commandant Gredethan. Sadarin's decision to take them to face trial rather than unceremoniously execute them had astonished Rose. Given what Sadarin had said of his past history with Gredethan, Rose knew he had made a difficult decision. Another man would have been humiliated by Gredethan's taunts. Another would have been unable to overcome the vengeful rage that Sadarin surely must have felt. But Sadarin did overcome it, and instead of satisfying his own anger, he placed Gredethan in the hands of the law. He was neither patronizing nor indecisive, but rather Sadarin had made this decision more condemning to Gredethan than death. This had impressed Rose further, and she believed that even if the Doctor hadn't been arrested today and Sadarin hadn't told Rose about Etalih Innai, she would have favored the rebellion.

The data Glinfindil had sent to Temenir and Kabid was very detailed, but the description of the object was rather vague. Rose supposed that he'd only caught a glimpse of the device, but though she understood some of the science involved, Glinfindil had not sent enough information for even a Helial to make a conclusion.

While Rose was in the midst of these thoughts, Sadarin did something that he hadn't done since Rose got here: he visited her in her cabin. After knocking quietly, he slipped inside and took a seat beside Rose, who was at a writing desk Delbadar had provided for her, still analyzing the data.

"Do you recognize the science involved?" he asked.

Rose nodded. "It's actually rather primitive by Helial standards," she told him, "but I can't tell you what Etalih Innai is yet."

Sadarin deflated, but Rose thought he was trying not to appear disappointed.

"The thing is," Rose said, "it's like Glinfindil sent me an equation to solve, but only half of the equation. I can't find a solution until I have all the needed information. Glinfindil missed something, and I think that something is the key to Etalih Innai."

"Then I'll have to send a message to him," Sadarin said. "But what are you able to assess from what you've got?"

Rose sat in thoughtful silence for a moment, and she looked carefully at the data again for a moment, before replying, "Glinfindil's described what looks like the energy flows of liquid energy. This probably is what's dumbfounded Temenir and Kabid, because that technology is way beyond you, and I won't bother to explain it now (that would take all day). However, the data includes the chemical formula for the mineral dethernide, which is very rare but not especially powerful. Also, the device itself appears to be a satellite. Upon completion the Yaldegans intend to launch it into outer space."

This interested Sadarin. "Can't you form any sort of hypothesis based on this much?"

Rose shook her head. "As I said, something is missing, and until Glinfindil finds the last piece of the puzzle, I'm afraid I'm as stuck as Kabid and Temenir."

Sadarin nodded. "I was afraid this might happen."

They sat in silence for several minutes, Rose reflecting on Kodiferan, while Sadarin looked at the data sheets, looking slightly worried. Then after a few minutes, Rose voiced a question she'd wondered ever since she'd first learned of Sadarin.

"How did you end up with the Capharon Rebellion?"

Sadarin smiled humorlessly. "How did a Yaldegan prince end up fighting to bring down his own family? I can imagine it would bother you."

Rose shrugged, and Sadarin glanced at her for a moment, before looking away. "It's a long story."

"We're both going to be here for some time, I think" Rose pointed out.

Sadarin had no reply to this, and Rose waited expectantly, hoping he wouldn't be too unwilling to tell her, because if she was to join the Capharons, she needed to know as much about their leader as possible.

He seemed to realize this too, because after a moment, he sighed. "As you undoubtedly know already, I was the Premier Warlord's younger brother, although legally I've been stripped of that rank." He snorted sarcastically, but visibly deflated as he continued sadly, "Deljath's birth was premature, and he was sickly his whole life because of it. When informed that his eldest son would probably not live long enough to succeed him as the Premier Warlord, my father Divathan turned to his younger, stronger son to be his heir."

Rose frowned. "You said you didn't want to be Premier Warlord."

"It was true then too." Sadarin looked back at her. "I wasn't happy about it. You know already that the warlords and overlords are exactly that: warlords. They're the aristocracy, but they're also military officers. Each of us had a regiment to command in the Yaldegan Army." He grimaced in disgust. "I hated it. I hated all the marching and flight formations, the drills, the yelling and intimidation, and therefore the last thing I wanted to be was Premier Warlord. When I was told that I'd be the heir, I was angry, but I understood that Deljath might not outlive my father, so I was prepared to accept the inheritance."

Rose nodded. "But how did Deljath react?"

"He completely resented it, of course. His whole life, he'd been preparing himself for the position, prepared to enjoy the luxury it would surely give him. He had planned to give his duties as Premier Warlord to a council of regents because he'd be too weak to handle them all himself, and limit himself to a ceremonial position." Sadarin paused. "I admit, the idea deserves merit, but considering the people Deljath associated himself with… well, you can imagine."

"So where do Davinathe and Gredethan come into this?"

Some remnant of the anger Rose had seen in Sadarin earlier that morning as he was tempted to murder Gredethan flickered in his eyes, and Rose almost regretted mentioning either name, but Sadarin continued in a remarkably cool voice in spite of his clear rage.

"I'm not sure when Deljath met Davinathe, but it must have been shortly after my father announced his intention of making me his heir. Davinathe was merely a lieutenant in the Sestati at the time, and he may be ruthless, but he knows how to charm when he must. He almost immediately befriended Deljath."

"When was this?" Rose asked curiously.

"Fifteen years ago." Sadarin inhaled deeply. "At some point, Davinathe must have told Deljath that he could still be Premier Warlord, and promised to help Deljath get what he viewed as rightfully his. You met Deljath yourself, did you not?"

Rose nodded. "He accepted, didn't he? Davinathe always seemed almost controlling of him, from what I saw. Deljath seemed to be indecisive and malleable."

"Precisely." Sadarin placed his hand on the desk and started tapping one of his fingers on it. "A month before Father was to formally announce me his heir, Davinathe discovered, or perhaps already knew, that one of my closest friends was sympathetic to the Capharon rebellion, then merely a guerilla insurrection. Upon Davinathe's instructions, his colleague Gredethan provided evidence that Tadisar had supplied information about the government to the rebels, (which Gredethan fabricated, I might add). Without giving him the benefit of trial, Davinathe obtained my father's permission to execute Tadisar."

"I'm sorry," Rose said sincerely.

Sadarin shook his head. "It was fifteen years ago. I've been able to grieve and accept my friend's death, and only have now to clear and honor his name."

Rose nodded and let Sadarin sit in reflection for a moment, before bidding him to continue. This caused Sadarin to continue to sit quietly, but this time he seemed to be considering how to continue his story.

After a moment, he began slowly, "What happened next was a complicated mess, but to make a long story short, Davinathe and Gredethan formally accused me of conspiracy against the Pratethate with the inland insurgents. My friend's accusation provided easy circumstantial evidence, which allowed Davinathe to twist further evidence which showed me prepared to take the seat of Premier Warlord solely for the purpose of undermining the regime." Sadarin's rage became more apparent. "There were all sorts of false accusations involved: they accused me of poisoning Deljath by degrees so he'd seem too ill to be Premier Warlord. They accused me of communicating with the rebels through my friend Tadisar the Traitor. They claimed that my obvious distaste for military rule was due to Capharon influence."

"But of course, none of it was true," Rose said, shocked.

Sadarin shook his head. "At the time, I wouldn't have known how to contact the rebels, nor would I have wanted to. Like you, I was told that they were simply a hateful band of terrorists bent on killing as many Yaldegan citizens as possible. None of it was true, but Gredethan was able to provide more false evidence in Deljath's favor, and when I realized that I couldn't counter him, I ran for it. I've been told that the scandal this caused was very great. I was made out to be a traitor and a murderer, and my father stripped me of my title and rank, and legally disowned me. I've lived in exile ever since."

"And Divathan Theletaos never knew you were innocent," Rose said sympathetically.

Sadarin shook his head. "He died cursing my memory."

After another moment in awkward silence, he continued, "During my exile, I stumbled upon a meeting between a group of the real Capharon rebels, and recognizing me instantly, they captured me and brought me to their headquarters (then located in Genicapharon). I was held captive for several years, but well taken care of. I suppose that the rebels were interested in me, because they, like the rest of Cypnov, had heard about the scandal." Some of the lingering confusion Sadarin must have felt showed in his expression, and for the first time he smiled slightly. "Then Delbadar's brother Vediran became their leader, and he was fascinated by me. He decided that since I was in their hands, rather than hold me captive he should try to recruit me." Sadarin looked away, a faraway look in his expression. "He showed me Kodiferan."

Rose stilled.

"At the time, we could only observe from a distance," Sadarin said, "but it was clear enough what the Sestati was doing. Vediran showed me Kodiferan and then left me to my own judgment. That's what I was trying to do with you today."

"That's what you did today," Rose said resolutely.

Sadarin started at these words, but recovered himself quickly. "You have made your decision?"

"If this was merely a matter of succession," Rose told him quietly, "then you'd find it much more difficult to persuade me to help you. But what I saw at that prison camp today shows that Davinathe's tyranny goes way beyond what he did to you. The whole of sentient civilization on Cypnov is at stake, even the Valdarans are worried, and my friends are in danger. If the overthrow of the Pratethate means peace and justice on Cypnov as well as my friends' safety, then I will help you."

* * *

The next two weeks were long and arduous for both the Capharons and the Yaldegans but very little progress towards victory was made by either side. The Broman Blockade was much tougher than the Yaldegans expected, an impassable barrier of battleships and aircraft carriers, followed by patrols of Broman and Capharon War Halictids. Throughout these two weeks, there were multiple attempts by the Yaldegans to break through the blockade, but each time their air force was beat back viciously.

Several days in, Minister Davinathe ordered a fusillade of small missiles upon the blockade and upon the cities of Genicapharon and Mesitoth (the Broman capital), but this did not lessen the rebels' resolve. On the ninth day, several ballistic missiles struck Gavarik, killing dozens of Yaldegan citizens and damaging an oil plant.

Yaldego retaliated by unleashing a storm of more missiles upon Capharon. The blockade was able to shoot down many of these, but some of them reached their targets. Broma, with far fewer missiles than Yaldego, attempted to firebomb a few Yaldegan cities, but the Yaldegan air force was able to destroy the raiders. Meanwhile, the guerilla forces within Yaldego became more violent and unpredictable as ever, causing as much internal turmoil as the war did. The Sestati began a widespread raid upon Yaldego and Brazim in search of the Capharon sympathizers, which landed over two hundred people in prison.

But one person remained completely ignorant of all this.

The Doctor's cell at Shathar wasn't as large as the one at Greyalden, and it was even less pleasant. This time the Sestati spared him the niceties, and had locked him in a cell without any heat or light, except for what little streamed in through the crack under the door. Feeling around, the Doctor could tell that the walls and floor were made of concrete, and that there was a lumpy mattress thrown on the floor, but nothing else. He was able to withstand cold temperatures, but the darkness was insufferable. He had no idea how long he was in there, and for a Time Lord, that was pure torture. He could count the seconds, but it wasn't like watching the stars and sun. Each day he could sense the Tardis somewhere out there, but had no means of reaching it, nor could he locate where his ship was calling from. Also, that telepathic signal was fading.

The only time the Doctor ever saw anyone was when the guards came by to give him food, but they never said anything to him, and the light outside that would flood the cell when they opened the door hurt his eyes more every time. The loneliness and boredom, along with the terror of what Donna might be going through, was as torturous to him as the realization that he was losing track of time, but the Doctor could do nothing.

It was completely silent too, and with no one to talk to and nothing to listen to, the Doctor started unintentionally talking to himself, sometimes babbling nonsense or recalling amusing memories out loud, or even reciting the Periodic Table of the Elements or quotes from Shakespeare's plays.

"If only Will could see me now," he said to himself sarcastically after finishing the last few lines of _Othello._ But even if the Doctor's sanity wavered, his resolution never did.

Then, after what seemed an eternity, one day the door opened, and a guard said, "You will come with me."

"Was willst du armer Teufel geben? Ward eines Menschen Geist, in seinem… what?" The Doctor looked up in surprise, realizing that the guard had spoken to him. *

Ignoring the Doctor's babbling, the guard repeated, "You will come with me."

Confused, the Doctor stood, and allowed the guard to lead him out of his cell, and back up the dimly lit hall he had been taken down upon his arrival. The Doctor had no idea what was going on, but after his eyes adjusted to the sudden light, he began to merely enjoy being able to walk in it for the first time in two weeks. The guards didn't say a word to him as they steered him down the hall and a staircase, and then across the empty courtyard in the facility toward the larger building toward the back. It was night, and the smaller Cypnovan moon lit up the landscape. He instantly looked to the stars, just out of reach, but before he could get a decent look at them, the guards pulled him through the front door of the Tower. The entrance hall wasn't very large, and also was only dimly lit, but the guards led him across it and into an antechamber, closing the door behind them. After glancing away from the door, the Doctor's eyes met Ferjhaal Davinathe's.

Looking around, he saw Fedazir Yadathrin standing next to Davinathe, and three more guards standing above a figure seated on the other side of the chamber. Getting a closer look, the Doctor realized that the subdued figure was Donna.

Apparently Donna had been no better off than the Doctor, because she looked as bad as he felt. Donna was very pale and she squinted, like he did, because even dim light looked as bright as sunlight after two weeks in total darkness. Donna's eyes were sunken with exhaustion, and she looked thinner.

"Good evening, Doctor," Davinathe said as the guards allowed the Doctor to sink into a nearby chair. "I again pose my request to you. Will you help Saran build the weapon?"

The Doctor said nothing, and Davinathe gave a sarcastic sigh.

"If you'd prefer the hard way, we will happily oblige."

Davinathe nodded to Yadathrin, who sent a gesture to the guards standing by Donna, who promptly shoved Donna off her feet, then stretched out her unbroken arm roughly. Then another guard promptly stomped on her forearm. A loud crack echoed throughout the antechamber and Donna screamed.

In the next moment, when the Doctor found himself shouting profanities at Davinathe and Yadathrin, the guards forced a panting Donna to her feet and shoved her back into her chair. The guard standing next to the Doctor reached up and struck him, which caused him to stop yelling, but he still glared at Davinathe in rage.

Unfazed by the Doctor's reaction, Davinathe said coldly, "Each time you refuse to cooperate, Doctor, the guards will break one of your friend's bones. Only you can end her agony. You have five days before we pose the question again."

With those final, condemning words, Davinathe swept from the room, leaving complete silence in his wake except for Donna's agonized gasps.

* * *

*The German lines the Doctor recites here are from Goethe's _Faust. _The stanza goes:

"Was willst du armer Teufel geben?

Ward eines Menschen Geist, in seinem hohen Streben,

Von deinesgleichen je gefaßt?"

In English, this means, "What, poor devil, can you offer? Was ever human spirit in its highest striving comprehended by the like of you?"

The poor Doctor.

**Long chapter. But fun to write, and also with a bit of a cliffhanger. Hope you liked it! **

**Dr. Who quote:**

"**Oh, look at what the cat dragged in. The Oncoming Storm!"**

"**Oh, you sound just like your mother."**

**Please leave reviews! **


	13. Chapter 13: The Agonies of Shathar

Chapter 13

The Agonies of Shathar

The cool wind tickled Rose's face as she sat on a bench on the wooden, disc-shaped platform that extended out along a level of branches at the canopy of the Achtari Gethankl Forest. Ever since she had agreed to help the Capharons figure out the nature of the Etalih Innai project, Rose had been permitted to go just about anywhere she wanted among the rebels' headquarters. This platform, Rose was told, was the watchtower which surveyed the area around the forest for air raids. Now that the Sestati had been expelled from Capharon, the rebels had begun renovating this hideout, using technologies which previously would have been too conspicuous to use.

The watchtower also afforded a spectacular view of the Capharon landscape; the continent was mountainous, like Yaldego, but Capharon was much more humid, and much greener. It had rained almost every day since Rose had arrived, but this was one of the days where she could see the sun setting past the west mountains. The forest extended before, and she could see an area in the distance where lights seemed to stream out through the trees: the city of Genicapharon.

An unobservant human eye might mistake Capharon for an uninhabited region, but Cypnovans had built their civilizations in forests from the beginning. The trees were the foundations of their buildings. Even if Radalans were not avian creatures, Genthakl trees were so large that it was easier to build in the trees than to cut them down. These trees did not burn easily, and even if the forest did catch fire, the trees' skeletons would remain, and they were even harder to cut down.

When it wasn't raining, Rose often came up here to contemplate the situation. Sadarin and Delbadar kept her updated on news of the war and on news of the Doctor and Donna, but thus far she could not look at the war optimistically. The blockade was still in effect, but Rose knew it had been pushed back somewhat, and that the Capharons were no closer to taking the war to the Yaldegan hemisphere than they were to rescuing the Doctor.

They had heard little of the Time Lord since Glinfindil had informed Raquin of his arrest, but Sadarin and Raquin were both certain that the Sestati would apply any method necessary to force the needed information out of the Doctor, and that if he were left to his fate, they eventually would succeed. They always did.

Given what Rose had seen at Kodiferan, she was inclined to agree with them, but she had no idea how to proceed. Shathar was in enemy territory. It was well guarded. It was an enclosed place, not open to the public. It was near a city under the jurisdiction of the Moberian Sestati. A rescue would be a near-impossible operation unless one of these factors was removed.

Rose looked out toward the sunset dejectedly, frustrated at the situation and at herself because she was of so little use! She couldn't identify the Etalih Innai device until Glinfindil sent more information, nor could she be of use to the Doctor.

A distant sound drew Rose's attention to Genicapharon again, one that sounded like a foghorn chanting "Alau, alau, alau!" The first time Rose had heard this sound, it had been completely unfamiliar to her. Now she knew it to be an air raid siren. Genicapharon was under attack again.

A soldier tapped Rose on her shoulder. "You'd better get below," he said. "You never know. They might decide to come here."

Rose nodded and allowed the soldier to escort her to the stairwell that led to the platform. As she descended the wooden stairs, she met Temenir on the way up.

"I thought I might find you up here," Temenir said. "Sadarin has a message for you."

For the past few days, Sadarin had been in Achtari Castle, meeting with Maset Feyathrin, whom Rose understood to be the Overlord of Capharon. Not very many people knew what they were discussing, but Temenir and Delbadar, who had started running things in Sadarin's and Raquin's absence, hoped to receive news of this conference for the past few days.

"He says that Lord Feyathrin wants to meet you in three days," Temenir continued, "and that Raquin will be here in a couple of days to take you through castle security."

Rose nodded, and together they continued down the stairs. Temenir hesitated, then added, "Also, I was told to tell you that intelligence has confirmed what Sadarin has already suspected about the Doctor and Miss Noble. The Sestati have been torturing Miss Noble, and possibly the Doctor too. They've been doing it for the past two weeks at the very least."

Rose shut her eyes, unsurprised and feeling little shock, but an icy fist seemed to clench around her heart at the thought of what Temenir had just told her. She remembered Sadarin's warning about the Sestati. But after a moment in worried reflection, she sighed. "The Sestati have read the Doctor quite correctly, then," she muttered almost bitterly. "They've figured out how to get to him."

"You know the Doctor better than the rest of us," put in Temenir. She hesitated, then added, "The Sestati always starts breaking their prisoners' resolve before physically torturing them, by locking the victim in a windowless room without heat or light, and simply leaving them alone in there for days with no one to speak to. They only unlock the cell to bring food. After a few hours, the prisoner starts talking to himself to pass the time, but the longer they are kept like that, the deeper they fall into insanity." Temenir shook her head in disgust. "How long do you think he'll last?"

"The Doctor can withstand physical torture," Rose said thoughtfully, "and it is hard to break his mental resolve. If he was the only one among us three in Shathar, Davinathe would have a difficult time getting anything out of him. What the Doctor cannot stand, however, is for any injury to befall a loved one, especially if he feels personally responsible."

Temenir did not answer. For a few minutes, the only sounds were their footsteps on the sturdy stairs, and the sounds of "Alau! Alau!" from Genicapharon. Even the distant sound of an explosion did nothing to shake them from their reveries.

"Sadarin wants me to reassure you that rescuing the Doctor is among our utmost concerns," Temenir said, "and that he has brought it up with Lord Feyathrin. I think even Feyathrin has agents trying to find a way to get them out of Shathar."

"But they're still no closer." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Temenir nodded sadly. "Delbadar thinks that our best chance depends entirely on Relash joining the Dreithegan alliance. With their help, we might be able to approach Mober, but as it is…"

She fell silent, but Rose understood. Another faint explosion sounded in the distance, and the cracks of machine guns.

* * *

The radius circumambulated the round screen in a counterclockwise motion, again and again, picking up little apart from a slightly turbulent air pocket to the west. A thermometer told the captain that the outside temperature was normal at this altitude, though barely survivable even in warm clothes. Captain Maletar switched the control to autopilot, and leaned back in his chair, looking out at the dark scene outside. Glancing to his side, he saw the co-pilot, Mirrat, lean closer to the large window and heave a deep sigh.

"You all right?" he asked her curiously.

Mirrat nodded meditatively. "Isn't it odd that at an altitude where there is no smog or chlorofluorocarbons, nothing to pollute the atmosphere, the temperature and air pressure itself is far deadlier? But even so, it's beautiful out there."

So it was. The scene stretched out beyond the airship, as far as the eye could see, a whole different world from the warring lands below. Yaral, the smaller of the Cypnovan moons, had risen, its faint silver glow illuminating the scape of clouds below. Stars dotted the night sky, and Maletar could see the Scimitar constellation swinging upwards, its handle pointing downwards towards what he estimated to be the west coast of Broma.

An uneasy feeling gripped him. They were in a danger zone. Maletar was sure that the Jian, being a passenger vessel, and a Relashian one at that, were protected from the Yaldegans, but though the digital radio was telling him that the latest Yaldegan air raid here had ended hours ago, there surely would be Halictid patrols, both Yaldegan and Broman, lurking about the sky.

Though Relash was, as yet, a neutral country, the war still had its effects. It particularly had hit Relashian trade, much to the chagrin of the Legislature as well as the entrepreneur class. Transport to Yaldego and its allies was difficult without angering the Broman air force and navy, and trade with other Dreithegan countries doubly difficult. Air routes were constantly delayed when the way was obstacled by an air raid. If an air raid started while a Relashian airship was en route, they had to navigate a wide berth around the area, delaying the landing time; a couple of air ships even had to land and wait for the raid to end.

But the Jian was a passenger vessel, not a cargo ship. The nine hundred people on board, as far as he knew, had no affiliation with the emerging Dreithegan Alliance. That in itself ought to be insurance, but Maletar still couldn't shake the unease. The radar still showed nothing to worry over but turbulence to the west. There was nothing to be heard but the engines, the propellers beating the air outside, and the occasional buzz of the radio.

Apparently also thinking along these same lines, Mirrat turned to Maletar and said, "Do you think we should inform the passengers where we are?"

Maletar gave her an approving nod, and Mirrat flicked a switch, and they heard an electronic bell sound. Mirrat picked up the com.

"Attention, passengers. We are now entering a belligerent zone. The air raids stopped six hours ago, but we highly recommend that everyone stays alert in case belligerent aircrafts accost us. We are three hours from our destination. Thank you."

As Mirrat hung up the com, someone rapped on the cabin door, then stepped inside: Maletar recognized her as Mirrat's maid Chardra, pushing a cart with two trays.

"Your dinners, sir and ma'am," Chardra told them.

Maletar took the plate and sniffed it. "Genthakl sauce on yorret grains, a slice of mintra meat, and a salad, correct?"

Chardra nodded. "It is as you requested, sir. No sanamon."

Mirrat nodded. "Thank you. You may go." As the maid quitted the room, Mirrat turned to Maletar. "You're allergic to sanamon?"

He nodded and leaned back in his chair, nibbling on the mintra. The animal it had come from evidently had never run around for a day in its life, judging by how much of it was grease and how much of it was not meat. Apart from that, the meal was delicious.

At that moment, the radar started beeping loudly. Maletar set his tray on the empty bench behind him and stood to examine the radar.

"What is it?" asked Mirrat.

Maletar bent closer, and as he did, the pulse hit something very solid, and a long, thin object appeared on the apparatus, he'd estimate some sixty or seventy tezidals to the north-west. Maletar stared as another appeared in the west at about the same distance. There was no other sound in the cabin apart from the engines and the alert, but Maletar knew those shapes anywhere.

"Halictids," he answered grimly.

At that moment the radio buzzed and a sharp voice said, "You are crossing into a war zone. Identify."

Mirrat handed Maletar the radio, and he pressed the button on the side. "Hanneway Airship Flight fifteen, requesting permission to transport nine hundred passengers from Galdelin to Pirlgon in the domain of Dancott. This is Captain Remham Maletar of the R.A. Jian."

"You will halt your vessel."

Maletar gestured to Mirrat. "All stop."

Mirrat put her tray down and started fiddling with the controls. Maletar felt the airship slow, and as he did, he saw the two Halictids shift into view, barely visible, but obviously very large War Halictids.

Mirrat saw them too, and her face contorted. "Yaldegans," she said coldly. "No Broman or Capharon Halictid is of that design."

The radio buzzed again. "You are commanded to give your ship's designation."

Mirrat and Maletar looked at each other.

"They've never asked me that before," Maletar said.

"Nor me," admitted Mirrat.

There was an uneasy pause, and then Mirrat asked, "Do you think they know?"

"Give your ship's designation," repeated the Halictid pilot.

Maletar nodded at Mirrat, and she typed a code into the computer. Immediately the lights flared green, and a computer voice said, "Alert. All passengers are to prepare for evacuation. Security will accompany you to your designated escape capsules. This is not a drill."

"You have ten seconds to give the designation," the belligerent threatened, "or we will open fire."

Maletar shut his eyes, and said into the radio, "Airship Register D.N.C 0182-001."

There was a long uneasy pause in which the two pilots looked out at the two Halictids. In the distance, they could hear the passengers moving away from their various quarters, and occasionally the shouts of a security officer to be calm. Mirrat picked up the com.

"You will land your vessel," the Yaldegan pilot ordered, "and present yourselves before the proper Yaldegan authority. Your ship will be confiscated, as will all cargo…"

But at that moment, Maletar switched off the radio. Mirrat turned on the com.

"Attention passengers," she announced, "The ship has been halted by the Yaldegan air force. I strongly advise everyone to get to your designated escape capsules immediately and prepare for evacuation. You have two minutes."

"Activate anti-piracy defense program," ordered Maletar.

"Very good sir." Mirrat typed another code into the computer. "The guns will be primed and ready to open fire any minute."

Maletar turned on the radio again. "We request that we be given time to allow all passengers to depart from the vessel," he said to the Yaldegans.

There was no answer. Maletar looked at Mirrat again, and then his eyes moved to the microchip key hanging from the dashboard and slid it into a slot by the radar. He then placed his fingers on a switch, his eyes returning to the two Halictids in the distance.

"They're preparing to fire," Mirrat said sullenly, and Maletar looked at the scanner to see that indeed, the fighters had primed their weapons, all of which were of much greater power than their own.

"Prepare to release the escape capsules," he said, his voice suddenly hoarse. Mirrat did not respond, but she turned on the controls. "Release them on my mark."

It seemed to take an age, in which Maletar's gaze never wavered from the two Halictids. Nothing seemed to happen, and indeed, Maletar was certain that the Yaldegans were waiting for him to make the first move, perhaps uncertain themselves of their intended actions. He honestly did not blame them, but he did blame the fool who ordered this.

Turning to Mirrat again, Maletar nodded calmly. "Do it now."

Mirrat pressed a button by the computer, and they heard the burst of air being released nearby, as well as a series of distant clangs. Of course, Maletar could not see what was happening, but he knew perfectly well that those were the sounds of the capsules falling from the ship, something the Yaldegans surely would have seen. Then he saw it: both belligerent aircrafts lighting and firing two missiles. Seconds before the four explosives would have struck, one right in front of him, Maletar flicked the switch on the dashboard and closed his eyes.

"I saved as many as I could," he whispered.

They hadn't even been given the chance to defend themselves.

* * *

In Sadarin's office, Delbadar Ervalon sat reading over the memo that Raquin had sent her from Achtari Castle, concerning the new equipment being shipped in from Genicapharon. Now that the Sestati had been expelled from Capharon, what formerly was the rebellion headquarters was now a special branch of the Capharon military and government, but they still had to remain secret. The Yaldegans still seemed to believe that Genicapharon was at the center of it.

In a corner of the room, a digital radio set droned out news updates; currently the reporter was speaking of the Overlord of Capharon's decision to evacuate all of the legally underage population of Genicapharon into the country. Delbadar knew that a few were housed in villages near Achtari; others had been sent to cities and towns in the mountains. It was Genicapharon's largest evacuation since the age of Pratethan Velathin.

In the distance, Delbadar could hear the explosions and gunfire from the city. Looking at the clock, she saw that the air raid had been on for about ten minutes. That meant that it would last another thirty. It always did.

She knew that the city Karaginn in Broma also suffered almost daily air raids by the Yaldegans, but all she knew otherwise was what she heard in news reports. Given what they said, Karaginn was hardly any better off than Genicapharon.

"Yaldegan bastards," Delbadar muttered contemptuously, as she put the memo down and leaned back in exhaustion. At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

"Come," Delbadar called, and Temenir and Kabid entered the room.

"I gave Rose the message," said Temenir, "and Kabid wants to hail Valdar."

Delbadar nodded at Kabid. "You know where it is."

The alien thanked her and quitted the room. After she left, Delbadar looked at Temenir. "What do you know of Valdar's intentions?"

Temenir shook her head. "They want to know what Etalih Innai is," she said quietly, "but I know little else."

Delbadar shook her head. "Etalih Innai," she sighed. "It seems to frighten everybody, doesn't it? And we don't even know what it is."

"Apparently Rose's friend does," said Temenir.

Delbadar looked at the radio again. "I wish the Relashians would get their act together and help out. They surely realize that eventually they're going to get involved too."

The other sighed. "The Relashian Legislature has convinced itself that it isn't their war."

Delbadar snorted. "They won't think so when the war damages _their_ people and economy. Even the Valdarans are concerned about this fight! If it puts an alien race twelve light years away on edge, then Relash should definitely worry."

Another explosion sounded.

"That was a loud one," commented Delbadar, glancing upwards. "Do you think they're getting closer?"

Temenir shrugged. "They haven't attacked Achtari yet. They don't know we're out here, so they don't have any reason to."

"Sooner or later they'll notice that Lord Feyathrin is overseeing _something_ here." Delbadar looked at the ceiling again, but all they could hear was gunfire.

"Aren't you ever the optimist?" Temenir said with raised eyebrows.

At that moment, the radio crackled, and they both looked at it just as a voice said, "And now we have just received a startling report from Relash. A Hanneway passenger airship on its way to Dancott was destroyed by overhead Halictids just an hour ago. Most of the crew and the nine hundred passengers were able to escape, but it is suspected that about fifteen died in the initial explosion, and a further seventy were trapped inside the ship and died in the crash. So far no word has reached us of the attackers' identities or nationalities."

"Hanneway…" said Temenir slowly, frowning.

Delbadar switched the radio off. "That's a Relashian airline company."

"Somebody attacked Relashian citizens," Temenir whispered. "Lord Scirithar and the Legislature are going to be furious."

"I just hope that it wasn't a Dreithegan Halictid that attacked them," said Delbadar. "The last thing we need is for Relash to assume a stance of angry neutrality, or even worse, ally themselves with the Yaldegans. In either case, we really don't stand a chance."

* * *

"Lord Scirithar, you are wanted in the council room,"

Onereigh Scirithar, the Lord Governor and Overlord of Relash, raised his eyes from the report to the guard, but said nothing. He stood and followed the man from his office, still carrying the damage report they'd given him that morning, which he glanced at time again. As usual, the news had not yet reported the details of the incident, but the death toll was heavy. The survivors who called out for assistance on their communicators appeared to have been lucky, because several reported that after the airship exploded, the belligerent Halictids turned on the escapers and began firing upon them too. It was estimated that two hundred people were killed, most of them citizens of Relash.

The outrage which had ripped through Relash was unlike anything he had ever seen. Two hundred people of a neutral country, attacked without provocation. Scirithar knew that the news had not yet reported who the attackers were, but if he had suspected one country from the beginning, and the later reports seemed to confirm it. Enough survivors had seen the Halictids to describe them.

Upon arrival in the council room, Scirithar was greeted by several military officers, including the high-ranking Generals Dalage and Kromald, and Councilors Daldain and Ebgon, the heads of the majority in the Legislature.

Daldain stepped forward. "Lord Scirithar, you are being hailed. The transmission is coming from Gavarik."

Scirithar felt his fists clench and the feathers on the back of his neck raise, but he took several deep breaths. He must master his anger if he was to address the Yaldegans reasonably.

"So," he said sarcastically, "the Pratethate officials have the nerve to show their ugly faces after yesterday? I'd love to see how they can justify it. Put them through."

General Dalage pressed an icon on the computer screen by the central table, and all the councilors and Lord Scirithar turned to look at the screen in the back of the room. A moment later it flicked on and the face of an aging man with icy gray eyes appeared before them. Scirithar stood.

"Minister Davinathe," he said coolly but politely.

Davinathe nodded. "Lord Scirathar," he greeted.

Scirithar's fists were still clenched, and he managed to say, "For what reason do I have this unexpected… ah… _pleasure?_"

Davinathe's left eyebrow elevated, and he pursed his lips in annoyance. "Straight to the point, I see."

The Lord Governor smiled humorlessly. "I always am, as you well know."

Davinathe blinked, and for a moment, he simply stared at the angry Relashian officials, before saying formally, "I feel myself called on as a representative of Yaldego and of the Pratethate to offer our most humble apologies for the destruction of the Relashian airship this evening, and to offer compensation for the damage our Halictids did."

Scirithar glanced at the other councilors, who remained in stony silence. Turning back to Davinathe, he could only respond, "I see."

Davinathe continued, "I hope you understand that the colonel who ordered its destruction has explained that he'd received a report from intelligence, saying that the pilots were smuggling weapons and supplies to the belligerent Capharon which would be transported through Dancott."

"Minister," Scirithar interrupted, "you have given my country no warning prior to this day of unrestricted Halictid warfare, which breaks even the Pratethate's military laws. Don't try to deny it, every single councilor in this room knows the law book back to front. Many in the Legislature regard this as an unprovoked attack upon Relashian citizens. Do you deny that you foresaw this possibility?"

"Come now, Scirithar," Davinathe said, sounding irritated. "Surely you knew it was a possibility, yet you allowed trade with Broma to continue."

Scirithar scowled. "We are a neutral territory, Minster. We are not bound by any allegiance to either side to refrain from trading either with Pratethate-governed countries or with this new Dreithegan Alliance. You knew this, but still your pilots lost us tens of thousands of daviks and cost us two hundred of our citizens. If you continue doing this, you will make an enemy of us. I believe I speak for the whole Legislature and the Relashian people."

Davinathe huffed angrily, and Scirithar inwardly felt a rise of malicious pleasure in rebuking the Yaldegan tyrant. The moment he'd heard of the airship's destruction, he knew that Relash was no safer from Davinathe's cruelty than Broma and Capharon.

"We are willing to send you thirty-thousand daviks in compensation," argued Davinathe.

Councilor Ebgon's face contorted with insulted anger and General Kromald's brows elevated with incredulity at Davinathe's presumptuous demeanor. The others looked simply enraged. Scirithar snorted with disgust, and turned back to face the screen. He had one last dart to aim.

"Tell me, Minister Davinathe," he said coldly, moving closer to the screen, "what has the Premier Warlord to say about this?"

This time it was Davinathe whose face twisted with fury, and Scirithar turned to hide his smirk. He, of course, knew as well as all of the councilors in the room that Deljath Theletaos had been dead for the past couple of months.

"Lord Theletaos is unavailable for comment," Davinathe snapped, and Scirithar narrowed his eyes.

There was a long, uneasy pause in which the two overlords glared at each other. Scirithar ground his teeth in disgusted disbelief, not only for his arrogant presumption that thirty-thousand daviks would quell Relashian anger, but also that he persisted in hiding Deljath Theletaos's assassination. It wouldn't be long before the people of Cypnov began to suspect themselves, after all.

Finally Scirithar released the breath he realized he'd been holding, and said icily, "Minister Davinathe, it will take a great deal more than thirty-thousand daviks to recompense for the lives lost." Glancing at the other councilors, he continued, "We will accept your compensation, but do not believe that your feeble attempt to stem public outrage will be successful. If this happens again, if the Yaldegan military, secret police, or government makes a single move that we deem to be threatening to the nation, you will be prepared."

Scirithar turned to make his way back to his seat at the table, but before sitting down, he turned back to face Davinathe. "You have only one warning," he told the Yaldegan Foreign Minister. "That was it."

Then he made a signal to Dalage, who turned the screen off.

* * *

"…_Et voglio anzi un sepolcro bello et bianco che 'l vostro nom a mio danno si scriva…"*_

The Doctor stopped, unable to focus anymore, and he leaned his head back on the lumpy mattress beside him, and groaned loudly. His throat was sore and his voice hoarse, no surprising consequence to have perpetually talked to himself (he never thought he'd actually end up reciting all of Shakespeare's works without pause; now he had moved on to Petrarch), or to no one in this dark dank cell for the past… well, the Time Lord had lost track of time. He couldn't cope any more.

His limbs felt heavy, as though his bones were suddenly made of lead, and his head pounded. It felt like he had a hangover, and Time Lords didn't even get hangovers. There were big blank periods in his memory, probably times in which sleep had taken him, though he couldn't even remember dropping off. Sometimes he ended up subconsciously counting seconds, desperately trying to get his senses back on track, but to no avail. Normally in such dire times as this, the Doctor felt old. Now even that feeling had ebbed away, leaving nothing but pure exhaustion. He wanted out, but he also was too weak to even reach for it.

This was why he didn't even so much as twitch when the door swung open again, and a hard voice demanded that he stand. The Doctor shut his eyes and turned away from the light from the hallway, which to him seemed like staring into a sun.

Then he heard Yadathrin's deceitfully reassuring voice: "Help him up; I doubt he can walk."

Two pairs of strong hands grabbed the Doctor's arms and pulled him to his feet. He swayed, his head pounding, and the two guards grabbed him and pulled his arms over their shoulders, before dragging him out of the cell. The Doctor's head hung low, the dizziness making him feel nauseous, yet another feeling that was alien to him.

"There won't be much more of this," Yadathrin said from somewhere ahead of him. "He's ready to submit."

The Doctor didn't respond. He didn't even open his eyes, but simply allowed the two guards to half-carry, half-drag him to what he supposed would be the Tower antechamber. This would be the fourth time.

The first time, he had been present when they snapped Donna's left ulna; the next time he hadn't been present at all (they asked him in his cell); the third time Donna hadn't been present.

But after what felt like hours, they flung him into a chair and he opened his eyes a crack to see Donna on the other side of the antechamber. She was pale, and her arms were covered in tight bandages and held in slings, but she looked better than he felt. The Doctor wasn't sure what conditions they were keeping Donna in, but he supposed that it was his resolve they were determined to break, not hers.

"I'm not an expert in Time Lord physiology, Doctor," said Yadathrin, "but anyone can see that you look ill. You'd like better living conditions, wouldn't you?"

The Doctor heard Donna give a disdainful snort. "Better living conditions," she repeated incredulously, "in which I get tortured every two weeks for something I don't even know about?"

One of the guards snapped at Donna to shut up.

"Miss Noble isn't doing so bad, as you can see," said a cool voice, and the Doctor turned his head an inch to see Ferjhaal Davinathe standing beside him. "We have a physician who sets her bones after each session. We won't kill her, but you don't want to see her suffer any further, do you?" The Doctor said nothing, but Davinathe didn't seem to require an answer. "Have you changed your mind?"

The Doctor was silent. Then he heard a loud slam, and a crack. Donna gave a sudden gasp, but this time she didn't scream.

"I repeat, Doctor," Davinathe said, "Have you changed your mind?"

"I can't build such a heinous device," Doctor said hoarsely, but he himself could hear that his resolve was now weak. Davinathe certainly wouldn't have missed it.

"But you will, Doctor," Davinathe said in a patient, almost gentle voice that belied his intentions. "You know you will. It takes a god's knowledge to build that device, and you have that knowledge, but you do not have the omnipotence of a god. You suffer as mortals suffer. You are exploited as mortals are exploited. You know that you will comply."

The Doctor shook his head in denial. "I can't give you that information!" he whispered.

Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. There was a pause, and then suddenly a sinister electrical buzz sounded from the other side of the room, and Donna screamed. The Doctor's eyes snapped open, and he saw that one of the guards had jabbed a long, metal instrument into Donna's side, like a cattle prod. Bone breaking had yielded nothing, but the Sestati knew that use of electricity would. They would not stop. They would break him here and now, or kill Donna.

"Oh no, you will answer," the horribly patient voice said. "Your own morality will demand it."

The Doctor's mind seemed to be in a haze, but he could hear Donna's painful gasps, and he turned to face his persecutor, who said to him, "You care too much for your friend to deny me that information."

The frenzied insanity that the dark cell had inflicted on him also inflicted as great a torture as the electrical instrument. _In that moment, Davinathe's thin face and icy eyes seemed to transform into a hideous humanoid face with empty eye sockets, hairless and shriveled, with a blue cybernetic eye in the center of its forehead._

_The creature's grating voice taunted him. "__You will tell me, because you have a weakness… A weakness that will make you give me the knowledge that will change the future. You are afflicted with a conscience."_

_Suddenly Donna seemed to be lying in a completely different, reclined chair, her hands and feet bound, and a helmet-like instrument placed above her head, and machines all around them that the Doctor hadn't seen for hundreds of years, including a recording device, and his tormentor beside him, its shriveled, decayed hand stroking a button almost lovingly, its face smiling in pleasure at the agony he was inflicting. _

"_Let me tell you what is going to happen: you will answer my questions. You will answer them carefully and precisely."_

"_And if I lie?" he asked quietly._

"_If you lie, your friend will suffer. If you lie, I have created her body all the torments and agonies ever known. Now, you will tell me the reason for every defeat. With that knowledge, there will be no defeats!"_

* * *

"And if I lie?"

Davinathe answered the Doctor's question. "You know what happens if you lie. Now, you will agree to assist us in this endeavor. With your help, the Pratethate's power will be complete. With this weapon, there can only be Yaldegan victory!" The voice seemed to be almost shaking with anticipation. "We will begin!"

Donna looked at the Doctor, greatly alarmed at the desperation in his face, and she knew that Davinathe was right. They had broken him. "Doctor, don't you dare!" she shouted. "You hear me? DON'T YOU DARE!"

The Doctor looked at Davinathe, his eyes unfocused. "Davros, If I tell you what you want to know, I will betray millions of people! I can't do that!"

Donna saw Davinathe blink at the strange name the Doctor had just given him, but he ignored it. Yadathrin gestured at the guards, and they shoved the prod into her side again. Every cell in Donna's body seemed to burn, and she bit down on her lip to stifle the scream that fought to be released, but the burning didn't stop. It licked her cells, every fiber of her being, and forced the scream back. A metallic taste filled her mouth, and she felt something warm run down her chin from the corner of her mouth. White-hot tendrils seemed to wind their way through her blood vessels, and finally she couldn't stand it any more, and she screamed.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, the pain ended, leaving a red haze before Donna's eyes. Her ears pounded, but she thought she heard Davinathe say to the Doctor calmly, "I await your answer, Doctor. Only you can end her agony. Do your duty as a Doctor."

* * *

"_Davros," the Doctor insisted, "If I tell you what you want to know, I will betray millions of people in the future. I can't do that!"_

"_But you can!" Davros insisted. "You will tell me! YOU WILL TELL ME! YOU WILL TELL ME!"_

_His grating voice reached a scream, and someone else screamed. Donna was crying out again, seizing up, her limbs shaking, but she could not fight back the electrical prod that her torturers had jabbed her with. _

_The strange, agonizing black mist that seemed to poison his vision thickened, and the Doctor cried out as Donna's screams drilled into his eardrums. His enemy's voice continued shouting. _

"_YOU WILL TELL ME! YOU WILL TELL ME!"_

_The grinding voice became more monotonous, and it deepened. "Then prove yourself, Doctor! What are you? Coward or Killer?"  
_

_EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!_

"STOP IT!" the Doctor screamed suddenly, his throat burning, but he ignored the agony of the cry. "Please stop it! Just stop it!"

The screaming and the electrical surges ceased.

"I said you'd submit." Davinathe's voice said. "Everyone eventually does."

The Doctor looked at Donna, who was drenched in sweat and was panting wildly, and her chin and split lower lip were covered with blood, because she'd bitten down on it so hard. The guards, mercifully, were unplugging the electrical prod, and another Radalan seemed to be tightly binding her torso with bandages; it appeared that they had broken one of her ribs this time.

"In a few hours," Davinathe continued, "you will be taken back to the lab to examine the Etalih Innai device and its components. You will brief Saran on every flaw and give any necessary instructions. You will answer his questions totally and completely. Have I made myself clear?"

The Doctor said nothing, but the dictator didn't appear to require an answer. Davinathe turned to Yadathrin, who stood nearby without making a sound.

"Take them both to a different cell," he ordered, "and give them better food and living conditions. Allow the Doctor to treat his friend's injuries."

But in a corner of the room, a weak and broken Time Lord stared at his injured human friend, who could only stare at him in great pity and sadness, and the heavy feeling of great shame and guilt came upon the Doctor. What would he do now? Was he to be the cause of the deaths of whole populations, or was there still something he could do to stop it?

The Doctor often railed against self-hatred, and had met dozens of benevolent people who were misled or deceived and blamed themselves later; and he wouldn't allow them to hate themselves. But so often he fell into that very thing he did his utmost to drive out of others. It was yet another reason he, often against his better judgment, sought out companions, so that there could be such a person for him.

This was one such occasion where he fell into that bitter pit, where he hated and disgusted himself for what Davros had called an affliction: his conscience.

He had allowed his love and pity for his companions put him in a position which might lead to a literally fiery holocaust from which Cypnov would never recover, and this time it truly would be his fault.

His pity, his bloody pity, which Donna had angrily warned him against heeding; she'd said that there was no greater insult to her, than his bending to the murderer's will just to avoid seeing her in pain; it was the same guilt, the same commiseration for Sarah Jane Smith which caused him to give in while Davros tortured her. And he, poor, weak old man that he was, gave Davros the information he needed to make the Daleks even more deadly than before. He'd done everything in his power afterwards to destroy the recording Davros made… but he poor fool! he hadn't realized that Davros's minion had copied it! That despite his efforts, the Daleks had that deadly knowledge anyway!

His weakness had given the Daleks access to the future; he had betrayed millions—no—trillions of people to their deaths, including his own people! Once the Daleks learned from that record that the Time Lords had sent him to stop their genesis, they swore to destroy every remnant of Time Lord civilization, and it was his fault!

That same day, just for a moment he had Davros at his mercy. He could have killed Davros and stopped the creation of the Daleks. He could have stopped the Time War generations before it happened! And he, stupid old man, did not! The bloody Machiavellian Time Lords sent the wrong agent; hell, the Master would have done a more sufficient job than he.

He had almost allowed the Dalek Emperor to destroy human civilization, after dozens of people had given their lives to make it possible for him to stop them! The Gelth took advantage of his pity for them in order to launch a brutal assault upon humanity, after he had pompously ignored Rose Tyler's misgivings.

The Doctor, the one surviving Time Lord, was so easily manipulated, and he hated himself for it.

…

*Petrarch: Sonnet 82

**Don't worry! The Doctor will think of a way to delay this, and Rose and her allies are working on it! The first hint of the actual technical nature of Etalih Innai (this is where it will get a bit more sci-fi) will be given in the next chapter, and Donna's most important role in Cypnov will become apparent in the next few chapters. **

**I still challenge any interested readers to finding out the word puzzle hidden in "etalih innai." Think of the Mirror of Erised's title, and why it's called that. **

**Keep reading!**

**Quote (it's been a while since anyone's identified these!):**

"**With a little bit of jiggery-pokery…"**

"…**is that a technical term, jiggery-pokery?"**

"**Yeah. I came first in jiggery-pokery. What about you?"**

"**Nah, I failed hullabaloo."**

**Please leave reviews! **


	14. Chapter 14: The Dreithegan Alliance

Chapter 14:

The Dreithegan Alliance

"It's a satellite, obviously, but apart from it being space-born, that does next to nothing to reveal its nature."

"Not necessarily. Satellites can fire lasers or missiles."

"No, I know lasers and missiles. This structure supports neither. There's no evidence that this satellite even is a weapon, unless these energy flows…"

Thus three technical experts sat in a room in Achtari castle, looking over the data from the Sanandrias laboratory, all of different species with differing ideas, but nonetheless all befuddled by the information.

Rose, seated in a corner of the room with her feet resting upon the table, shook her head at Kabid the Valdaran's line of thought, cutting off the latter. "The energy flows are the footprint of liquid energy. But while that narrows down the satellites nature to all sorts of possibilities, it still reveals nothing." Then smiling slightly, Rose added, "But you are right in that it doesn't fire missiles. It's a Taledrevan device. Satellite-fired missiles is too primeval for the Helials."

Kabid fell silent, then picked up another sheet of paper and scrutinized the words written upon it, all three of her eyes narrowed into a hard squint.

After a moment, Delbadar Ervalon, who had been seated in another corner holding a wet rag to her head, asked curiously, "What exactly is liquid energy? You've mentioned it several times, but you've never explained it."

Rose shrugged. "You could think of it as a middle ground between matter and energy. Highly useful substance; it is most frequently used for opening trans-dimensional portals or making things bigger on the inside."

"I've never heard of it," Kabid told her quietly.

"That's because it only naturally occurs in wormholes," Rose explained, "so you'd need the technology to manipulate black holes to even discover liquid energy, let alone experiment with it. Only the really great empires were able to harness it."

Kabid cocked her right eyebrow. "Like the Helials?" she suggested.

Rose nodded. "Helials, Time Lords, probably the Daleks… actually, though _they_ had the means, the Daleks never had the imagination nor the inclination to use it," she added thoughtfully. "For all their power and potential, the Daleks always were sorely lacking in original thought."

This made no sense to Rose's companions (who, she speculated, probably knew very little about the Daleks apart from distorted Helial stories), but Delbadar interrupted Rose's rambling and asked, "Is liquid energy dangerous?"

Rose paused thoughtfully, and after a moment, she said slowly, "I suppose that its effects in reaction with certain physical phenomena can be dangerous, but we're talking about things like supernovae or accretion disks, nothing that could be produced on or near Cypnov."

Kabid's eyes returned to the data sheet. "What about this chemical formula?"

Rose sighed. "I've already told you, Kabid, dethernide, though rare, is not particularly powerful."

"But what are its properties?" asked Delbadar. "Why would it be a component of this device?"

"Well, it's a very strong, stable mineral… it can absorb harmful radiation, so it makes a good medicine to prevent radiation poisoning… let's see, what else? In its crystallized form it can powerfully refract light. You could use an opaque dethernide lens as a microscope, for instance." Rose fell silent again for a moment, before admitting, "But in this case, I have no idea what connection it has to the liquid energy. As I told Sadarin, something's missing. Glinfindil didn't send us enough information."

At that moment, the door opened and Temenir entered, carrying what looked like a scroll in her hands, before seating herself next to Delbadar.

"I've just had the biggest relief of my life," she announced.

Delbadar raised her eyebrows curiously. "Why? What's happened?"

Temenir handed Delbadar the scroll, which the latter unrolled, allowing Rose to see that it was, in fact, a Cypnovan newspaper.

"Turns out it _was_ Yaldegan Halictids that destroyed that Relashian airship," Temenir said with a smirk. "According to the paper, Davinathe contacted the Lord Governor Scirithar a few hours later. It's not clear what happened, but apparently the Relashian Grand Council is incensed, and Raquin just informed me that Lord Scirithar is on his way to Genicapharon as we speak."

The others gaped at her, and shocked, Delbadar exclaimed, "You're joking!"

Temenir shook her head gleefully. "Nope. It's not clear why Scirithar's meeting with Lord Feyathrin, but I can imagine it's not in Davinathe's interest."

"Don't get excited too prematurely," Delbadar warned. "If Yaldego suspects Capharon to be gaining Relash's favor, believe me, they will do their very best to crush Capharon, quickly and brutally."

This gave Temenir pause. After a moment, she said, "And, of course, Yaldego has the means to wipe Capharon off the map."

Delbadar glanced at Rose and Kabid, before replying to Temenir's statement: "If you refer to the antimats, Temenir, and I doubt it will come to that and hope that it doesn't, don't forget that if Davinathe's trying to avoid war with Relash, then it only follows that he refrain from priming his arsenal."

Rose stared at Delbadar. "What do you mean?"

It was Kabid who answered. "Years ago, Yaldegans tested an antimat on an island in close proximity to the North Dreithegan continent," she explained. "It was visible from the west Capharon shore. The Lord Governor of Relash reacted first, and he was furious; that evening he revealed to the Premier Warlord that Relash already had a full arsenal of antimats. He further warned the Premier Warlord if Yaldego ever detonated any such weapon, whether antimat or thermonuclear, within a certain proximity of the Dreithegan continents, then, no matter if the detonation was a test or an attack, Yaldego would face war with Relash."

"The Premier Warlord, Sadarin's father, immediately backed down," Temenir added. "Divathan Theletaos was a ruthless man, but I think he was reasonable enough to avoid the possibility of an antimatter war. He even withdrew the Sestati from Relash to placate the Relashian Legislature."

"Relash has been completely independent from Yaldego's interference since," added Delbadar.

But Rose looked bothered by this information. Standing up, she picked up the papers scattered across the table, skimming over the information Glinfindil had sent them, looking up at the others occasionally, and sometimes mouthing something to herself.

The others watched in bewilderment, and after a moment, Delbadar asked, "What's the matter?"

"They already have a powerful, heinous and merciless weapon, a whole arsenal of them," Rose said quietly. "The thermonuclear bomb, the antimatter detonator… think about it: weapons so powerful that they could put an end to war forever. There are worlds out there in which the bitterest enemies made peace simply out of fear of nuclear weapons. My own world recently went through such a stage."

She glanced at the papers in her hand again.

"If Etalih Innai is a weapon," she said, "and almost everyone believes that it is, then why keep it such a secret when Yaldego is armed with something as powerful as an antimatter bomb? The first possibility is that Etalih Innai is a psychological weapon, intended to scare more than to destroy. But these"—Rose threw the papers back on the table—"these papers testify otherwise. Why put so many years of effort and research into understanding Helial technology?"

"Nothing intimidates like the possibility of a Helial weapon," put in Delbadar.

"True," Rose said, "except that they could have bluffed. But no, they genuinely are doing serious research, even coercing a Time Lord to helping with their research. Perhaps it is a psychological weapon, but there's more to it than that.

"The second possibility is that Etalih Innai is much more powerful than an antimatter weapon, or else is much more sudden and rapid… or both. Something Relash could not dream of imitating, something they could not fight."

The others stared at her in surprise and trepidation, and Kabid looked incredulous, and Delbadar took a deep breath.

"Rose, for all our sakes, I hope you're wrong."

Rose nodded. "I don't often say this, but I hope I'm wrong too."

* * *

An hour after she'd mercifully been taken from the Tower, Donna now lay prostrate on a wide bench with her face in her folded arms, her shirt pulled up so that her back and injured ribs were exposed. She couldn't see what the Doctor was doing, but a second later, a searing pain shot through her side.

"Damn you, Doctor!" she hissed.

"Sorry about that!" the Doctor said apologetically. "I should have warned you that it would sting."

Donna scowled into her arms. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

There was a moment of uneasy silence, as the Doctor continued tending to her injuries. Donna could feel him dabbing some chemical onto her skin, which stung like hell. Finally, the pain ebbed away, leaving Donna with sore ribs and a soothing sensation on her skin. The Doctor then drew up a stool and sat next to Donna, who turned her head to look at him. With a handkerchief he was wiping a cyan chemical from his hands, but he looked downtrodden and shamefaced.

"Donna, what could I have done?" he said tiredly.

Donna scowled. "I told you not to!" she hissed.

The Doctor looked at her dejectedly. "And I couldn't let them kill you."

Donna said nothing. She had never seen the Doctor like this, tired and helpless, crushed. She had never seen such self-recrimination in the Doctor's face, including when he killed the Racnoss and nearly left Caecilius and his family to die in Pompeii; not even when talking about the Time War. Frightened by the defeat she saw in the Doctor's pale face, Donna asked, "Doctor, just how powerful is this weapon?"

The Doctor closed his eyes. "Too powerful," he muttered. "No civilized race would ever try to use it."

"The Helials did," Donna pointed out. When the Doctor didn't reply, she added, "But at least you're on some control of the situation. The Yaldegans are at war, right? Maybe the war will be over before you can finish it."

The Doctor looked at her. "Yeah." He then looked away, and his brow furrowed. "Yeah," he repeated, suddenly looking thoughtful.

"Or maybe we'll be lucky and Rose will get us out of here," Donna continued, trying to sound optimistic, but she knew that she sounded doubtful of that possibility herself.

The Doctor looked away, and Donna wondered how long it had been since the Doctor had even thought about Rose, given his situation for the past few days.

"Donna," he said sadly, "we don't even know if she's still alive."

"Don't think like that!" Donna snapped. "Don't you dare think like that! They wanted Rose for a reason, so she must be alive somewhere!"

The Doctor smiled, and she thought she had managed to ignite the smallest spark of hope in him, and he still looked thoughtful about her first suggestion.

After a moment, Donna asked quietly, "What are you going to do?"

The Doctor stared off into space, his mouth set in a thin line, his expression one of deep contemplation. Then he muttered slowly, "Penelope unraveled the tapestry every night."

"Sorry?"

The Doctor looked back at her. He wasn't smiling, but he looked less defeated than he had a few minutes ago. "Just a thought," he said, "but I think a healthy one for the whole, if not for me."

Donna, though by this point very confused, asked again, "What sort of weapon is it? A bomb?"

The Doctor shrugged. "You wouldn't understand how it works. It's beyond Earth science."

"Try me!"

For the first time in weeks, the ghost of a smile appeared on his countenance. "All right," the Doctor said, "I'll try you. Etalih Innai is a device which harnesses the energy burst of collapsed compressible matter, which is then flattened by dethernide crystal panels."

After a moment's mulling this over, Donna snorted. "Save the technobabble for someone who speaks the language," she said. "I have no idea what that means."

The Doctor's faint smile seemed to strengthen a bit. "What you saw in the R&D lab is the construction of a satellite; they intend to launch it into space upon completion. The satellite contains a sphere of O-type tempered iron held in place by an electromagnetic field. The iron is connected to a black…"

At that precise moment, the cell door was flung open, and a Sestati guard strode in briskly. He pointed to the Doctor.

"You, come with me. Now."

* * *

"You're down."

A couple of soldiers called out their congratulations for the foil.

"Acknowledged. Very good, Sadarin." Raquin swung his curved blade upward and back down with a sound like a whiplash. "Undoubtedly your father had you learn from Yaldego's most accomplished master."

Sadarin lowered his sword and smirked, looking exhilarated. "Just the thing to take the edge off," he said.

Returning his opponent's smile, Raquin asked jocularly, "Think you'll ever use the skill in battle?"

Sadarin raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

The other laughed. "No. Duelling is an archaic practice."

Sadarin shrugged. "You'd be surprised. All the Yaldegan soldiers learn to fence. The idea is that even when out of bullets, you can still fight."

It was Raquin's turn to raise his eyebrows incredulously. "That's completely primeval."

"Welcome to the world of Yaldego." Sadarin turned around and glanced around the room. Pointing to a bench, he asked, "Won't you sit down?"

Raquin nodded, running his clawed fingers through his damp feathers. Taking two strides to the bench, he motioned to a servant as he and Sadarin lowered themselves down. "Some water, please."

As the servant scurried away, Sadarin asked, "Have you heard from Lord Feyathrin?"

"No, but I expect to hear from him soon. I'm anxious to know of his conference with Lord Scirithar. I take it that Davinathe's attempt to apologize to Relash didn't go well."

Sadarin smiled. "All it takes to know that is a glance at the figures."

"But the Legislature is still undecided about participation in this war," continued Raquin, looking exasperated.

"Lord Scirithar doesn't need their approval," Sadarin pointed out. "The Legislature by law is the only branch of their government that can _declare_ war, but the Lord Governor can send troops whether they declare it or not."

"True," acknowledged Raquin, "but the Legislature could cut his funding if he enters the conflict without their approval."

The other sighed. "Then I suppose one has to hope that the Legislature's angry enough with Yaldego to overlook it."

Raquin inhaled deeply. "Well," he said slowly and almost incredulously. "All this over an airship. But it gives us the chance we need. Hopefully Relash also is worried about this Etalih Innai situation."

At that moment, the servant returned with the water, and Raquin slowly drained the glass. He then wiped sweat from his feathery head and stood.

"Ready for round two?" Sadarin asked.

Raquin nodded. "I think so."

They stood and took their places ten feet apart, facing each other, and gave each other the customary bow. On the one side: short but well-built, eyes fixed upon his opponent, determined, trained, patient: Raquin Nahtavid. On the other side: taller, sword held in a ready position, hand steady, temperate, powerful, master of himself: Sadarin Theletaos. Then they sprang into action. Sadarin took first priority, and pushed Raquin back a few steps, but in a quick succession of strokes Raquin blocked his attack and turned the round to his advantage. Steel struck steel, but each was equal. The other occupants of the room watched with interest as Sadarin took the advantage again. Thrusting his sword forward, Sadarin tried to push Raquin back a second time, but Raquin parried and in a strong thrust he riposted, and his sword struck Sadarin's armored chest.

"Got you," Raquin said in a low voice. "You really have got to learn to block that riposte."

Sadarin lowered his sword. "Perhaps one day I'll face an opponent who has the same problem."

"Well, until then, you should practice more," Raquin advised. "Well, I think that's enough for one day. We've both got work to do, of course."

Sadarin nodded, and tossed his sword aside. A servant quickly scurried forward to put it away. Raquin lowered himself back onto the bench and arched his back, his wings stretching out widely. He groaned in satisfaction.

"That's better," he grunted. "My back would be worse if it was an airborn match."

"We'd have to go outside for that," Sadarin said quietly.

"Indeed."

Sadarin sat down beside Raquin again, his left leg stretched out in a relaxed position. They sat in silence for a few moments, before Sadarin suddenly voiced a question he'd meant to ask for hours.

"How many men would it take to infiltrate a Sestati prison?"

Raquin glanced at Sadarin. "The Doctor?" he asked.

"Yes." Sadarin rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "They'll break him soon. We're running out of time."

Raquin nodded. "Well, that depends on the prison," he said thoughtfully. "The prison in Greyalden, for instance, could probably be infiltrated with two or three spies in a few weeks. But for a big prison camp like Kodiferan, on the other hand, infiltration would be next to impossible. It took an army to get into Kodiferan, you know."

Sadarin nodded. "What about Shathar?"

Raquin shook his head. "Unfortunately I don't know enough about Shathar to answer that question. If at all possible, it could take anywhere between a few weeks to a few months to infiltrate Shathar."

Sadarin dismissed this with a gesture. "We don't have months," he said sharply. "It's only a matter of time before the Yaldegans force the Time Lord to help them. After that, who knows how long it will take for them to repair this weapon of theirs? If we're going to get the Doctor and his friend out of prison, it must be done in the next two or three weeks."

"What do you suggest, Sadarin?" Raquin asked wearily. "An insurgent attack, like the one that got Rose here?"

"Too dangerous," Sadarin said, shaking his head dejectedly. "A fully guarded and fully armed prison facility would be much more difficult to attempt a successful kidnapping. It's not like the Gavarik palace."

A loud slam down the hall interrupted this discussion. Sadarin and Raquin looked up at the front door, and a soldier entered the room, followed by two lordly men, one dressed in a Genicapharon tunic, and the other in Relashian armor.

"Lord Nahtavid," the soldier called, before turning to announce the visitors. "Lord Maset Feyathrin, Overlord of Capharon, and Lord Onireigh Scirithar, Overlord and Lord Governor of Relash."

Raquin clambered to his feet hastily, and behind him, at the sight of the two overlords, Sadarin incredulously whispered, "Great Verkata."

* * *

It seemed to take an eternity before the Sestati guards steered the Doctor back into his cell. Donna wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she was sure that it had been hours. The guards said nothing to either prisoner as the Doctor stumbled back into the cell, and after they slammed the door shut, the Doctor groaned and slumped against the concrete wall, sliding to the floor.

"What happened?" Donna asked in concern.

"I suppose it wouldn't surprise you," the Doctor replied, "that the scientists in that lab are unbelievable slave-drivers. 'Course, they've got the Sestati hanging over their shoulders all the time. They're cruel just to keep the thugs off their backs."

"You've started, then?"

The Doctor glanced at the door. "So they think."

His companion raised her eyebrow.

"The device is incredibly advanced stuff," the Doctor continued casually, but very quietly, his eyes flicking to the door. "Even after years of study, Saran and his elite scientists are still flummoxed. They probably wouldn't notice if something went wrong with the liquid energy sequence, or if the iron isn't of the correct temperament."

Donna stared at him in confusion, but as a strange, mysterious smile began to appear in the Doctor's expression, she began to grow a little suspicious. Then it clicked for her.

"You're sab-"

"Don't finish that sentence," he mouthed to her brusquely, and Donna slammed her mouth shut, realizing why he kept glancing at the door. Clambering to his feet, he stood close to her and whispered, "You never know. Yadathrin or Davinathe could be listening. But as I said before, Penelope unraveled the tapestry every night."

Donna nodded, but hoped that he could delay completion, as she suspected him of doing, of the device long enough for the war to subside.

"Saran, is of course, in charge of the operation," the Doctor said, lowering himself onto the bench. "I've spoken with him. He obeys every little direction the Sestati throws at him, and believes every word the Pratethate says. Completely at Yadathrin's beck and call." He shook his head with disgust. "If the Sestati told him that two and two made five, he'd lap it up."

"What about the other scientists?" asked Donna.

"They all keep their mouths tightly shut," the Doctor said, rolling his eyes. "Too scared to do anything but obey the Thought Police. Honesty, even pre-Dalek Skaro wasn't this submissive, and believe me, that's saying something. It was the most quiet laboratory I've ever been to. You'd find more cheer at a funeral."

Under any other circumstance, Donna would have smiled in amusement. "Well, it can't be any worse than this place."

She adjusted her seat on the bench, wincing as pain shot through her broken ribs.

"How long do you think you could keep this up?" she whispered to him. "Sabotaging the project?"

The Doctor's smile faded. "I don't know," he admitted. "But it ought to give us a bit of time, you know?"

Donna nodded. "And Rose," she said optimistically.

The Doctor was silent for a moment, before nodding his agreement. "And Rose." He glanced at the door again, and leaned in close, whispering, "I think we should never speak of this again. We could be overheard."

* * *

"The Legislature is not willing to declare war yet," Lord Scirithar affirmed, "but the incident with the airship greatly angered the government and the public, and I have given Lord Davinathe only one further warning. If he violates our national rights again, he faces the Relashian armies in battle. I've made that very clear to him." He paused thoughtfully, before turning to Lord Feyathrin and Sadarin. "To that end," he continued, "the Council has decided to offer Relash as a conditional member of your alliance."

Sadarin sighed in relief. "Thank you for this."

Feyathrin, however, was not so pleased by this. "Of course, you do realize that forming a Dreithegan alliance could cause the Yaldegans to begin war with you?" he asked Scirithar.

Scirithar smiled slightly. "I thought you _wanted_ Relash at war with Yaldego." Feyathrin fell silent, but Scirithar didn't need a reply. "But if the Yaldegans are prompted to do so, then Ferjhaal Davinathe is a very foolish man. The Yaldegans may have resources at their disposal, but so do all three members of this alliance. Relash has military power, Capharon has iron,"—here he gave an acknowledging nod to Feyathrin—"and Broma has oil." Now he smiled. "It also helps that our merchants' being on fairly good terms with the Edrens has left us with a few assets."

Sadarin raised his eyebrow. "Oh?"

Scirithar shrugged. "Bits and pieces of technology, which we've been able to develop into… well… all sorts of useful devices: ray guns, quantum communicators, the like."

"But the Yaldegans also have access to alien technology," Raquin pointed out to Scirithar, who nodded.

"I'm aware of that," he said. "Don't forget that it was Relashian scientists working in the Sanandrias laboratory who brought back the blueprints of the original Yaldegan positron generator."

At this, Raquin asked, "And I assume they told you about the origins of that generator."

Scirithar nodded. "It came from a building full of Taledrevan artifacts, what they tell me was possibly a Helial museum."

Cautiously, Feyathrin asked, "And what else do your scientists know about the Taledrev collection?"

Scirithar turned to look at Feyathrin curiously. "There's something you want to ask me, isn't there?" He glanced at Raquin again.

The latter fidgeted in his seat, and hesitantly asked. "Have you ever heard the words 'Etalih Innai?'"

Sadarin shot his friend a sharp look, and in the corner of his eye, he saw Lord Feyathrin twitch uncomfortably. Scirithar looked at Raquin with an inscrutable expression for a long time, and Raquin, discomfited by his own impulsiveness, said hastily, "I shouldn't have said that. Forget it."

"Yes."

"I beg your pardon?" asked Sadarin.

"Yes, I have heard those words," Scirithar clarified. He tilted his head, scrutinizing Raquin and Sadarin with great interest, before continuing, "Since the Capharons clearly are also investigating this matter, I won't hide from you that the Council is deeply concerned about the Yaldegan project." He sighed. "Unfortunately, I cannot tell you much about it, because our scientists were banished from Mober long before the Yaldegans started developing it."

Raquin nodded understandingly. "We've managed to extract some data from Sanandrias, but apparently not enough for our expert to identify it."

Scirithar didn't look surprised. "The Yaldegans guard that information more carefully than they guarded the Premier Warlord. That is for certain."

Sadarin, who's eyes had been on the wooden floor throughout this exchange, looked up at these words. "Then you're already aware that he's dead?"

Scirithar nodded. "It's not difficult to deduce. I don't suppose you're behind Deljath Theletaos's sudden and mysterious death?"

Sadarin's face became stony. "Sir, I'm capable of running away from home, and of rebelling against my father's monstrous regime," he said coldly, "but I would never assassinate my own brother. I have no idea who killed him or why, but it had nothing to do with me."

There was a long, uneasy moment in which the Yaldegan exile and the Relashian overlord stared at each other, one's face contorted with insult, and the other's countenance remaining unreadable. Finally, Scirithar began to smile with satisfaction.

"I'm glad to see that there's at least one honorable Yaldegan lord in the world," he said, and Sadarin started at this compliment.

Feyathrin interrupted. "Are you aware that the Sestati's trying to coerce an alien captive into building the device for them?" he asked Scirithar.

"The Time Lord?"

The others stared at Scirithar, taken aback. Finally Sadarin asked incredulously, "How did you know that?"

Scirithar shrugged again. "We were trying to uncover the nature of this project, like you yourselves," he said simply, "so one of my best agents is still working in Sanandrias. He's managed to plant himself inside the Moberian Sestati, and has been inside the Shathar prison several times since the Time Lord's arrest."

Feyathrin's jaw dropped. "_You_ have infiltrated the Shathar prison?"

"That's not the word I would have used," Scirithar said, "but in a sense, yes."

"This is an afternoon of wonders indeed!" cried Sadarin. "Relash is soon to help unite the most powerful Dreithegan countries in this war, you know about Etalih Innai _and_ the Doctor's imprisonment, and now you tell me that you've already planted a mole in Sanandrias who can help us! And yet you haven't tried to rescue that prisoner?"

Scirithar raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

"You do realize," Sadarin continued, "that he could tell you everything about Etalih Innai, and with the Doctor under your protection, you would have leverage against Davinathe. Perhaps you would even be able to halt the project."

"I have a mole in the Sestati who's managed to get into the Shathar prison camp," Scirithar corrected him. "It's not enough to successfully bring about a full abduction. But I believe that if given backup, he may be able to help the Time Lord escape."

Sadarin tilted his head, scrutinizing Scirithar closely. Then he straightened, and said, "in that case, there's someone here you ought to meet."

And so, within ten minutes, Raquin led Rose Tyler into the antechamber where Lord Scirithar waited with Sadarin and Feyathrin. The moment she entered, the occupants stood.

Sadarin spoke first. "Rose, I'd like you to meet Onereigh Scirithar of Relash. Lord Scirithar, this is Rose Tyler."

The overlord gave Rose an acknowledging bow. "Delighted, ma'am," he said. "I'm told you're a friend of the Sestati's latest important prisoner."

"If you mean the Doctor," Rose said quietly, "yes."

Scirithar glanced at Sadarin. "Commander Theletaos informs me that you have been attempting to piece together this Etalih Innai puzzle."

Rose nodded. "You've also heard that they're trying to force the Doctor to build it for them."

"The Doctor is the Time Lord, of course," Scirithar assessed, but he seemed to be talking to himself more than to Rose.

"I've learned today that Scirithar's agents have successfully planted a spy in the Shathar prison," Sadarin said, getting straight to the point.

Rose started, and she stared at Scirithar in astonishment, but Sadarin could see her face brighten.

"I will contact him this evening," Scirithar informed her, "and hopefully we'll receive an assessment about how to procede further."

"But until then, of course, we wait," Rose said, but she looked quite pleased at this news.

Here Sadarin spoke up again. "Lord Feyathrin will be accompanying Lord Scirithar back to Relash this evening, and I will be going with them while Raquin oversees things here."

Rose nodded. "Are you asking me to come too?"

"He's your friend, Rose," Sadarin said, his voice not lacking kindness. "You have every right to be involved in this."

Rose smiled gratefully. "How soon do we leave?"

Scirithar glanced at the side door, through which the Overlord of Capharon had left moments before. "As soon as Lord Feyathrin's finished setting his affairs in order, so hopefully within a couple of hours."

At that moment, someone rapped loudly on the other door, and Raquin, who had been standing by Scirithar quietly throughout this exchange, crossed the room and admitted Delbadar into the room.

"Excuse me for interrupting," Delbadar said, "but we just received this message from Glinfindil."

She held out a sheet of paper, which Raquin took and glanced at. He stared at the contents for a full five minutes, before handing the paper to Sadarin. "Look at this."

Sadarin raised the message to his eyes, and the others waited in apprehension, before Sadarin cleared his throat and read out loud, "This afternoon the Doctor was seen in the Sanandrias lab with Yaret Saran. He spent most of the time in the restricted area where I believe the Yaldegan project to be located."

Rose closed her eyes dispiritedly. "He's surrendered, then."

Sadarin nodded. "We knew they would break his will eventually. They always do."

"So the Time Lord has surrendered," Scirithar said quietly. "And this afternoon he began work on the project."

"I don't imagine he'll be enthusiastic or too cooperative," Rose said quietly.

"Nevertheless, this limits our time immensely," Scirithar said. "I must send Crotar that message immediately, and then I have an appointment with the Council and with the Legislature."

Rose and Sadarin looked at him questioningly, and the Overlord and Lord Governor of Relash clarified, "Any Taledrevan weapon, suspect or confirmed, is a threat to Relashian national security. You see, I gave Davinathe one warning last week. It was his last warning."

* * *

**Sorry about the delay. I don't believe this, but this Wednesday, I'm having my last midterm examination, out of NINE, which is ridiculous. This has been the busiest semester I've ever had. Nine exams and a term paper, and those exams don't even include the finals. I'll be so glad when this semester's over. **

**Needless to say, I haven't been able to devote much time to this. Thankfully, I'm about three-quarters through this. If I work at it, I might be able to condense the next portion into just a few chapters. **

**I've already started planning some future stories in this series. I may even introduce the Helials earlier than I'd initially planned, which would be interesting. They're an interesting bunch. **

**Again, I'm about to beg you to leave reviews. When you do so, please tell me how well I've laid down the new characters in this story, particularly Sadarin, Raquin, and Delbadar, because they'll reappear throughout the series. Also, let me know how well I've laid down the Doctor, Rose, and Donna (who I have a hard time with, because I have a harder time relating to Donna than to the others). I've started revising "Eve of the Eternal," and I may eventually revise this one too. If I do, I'd like advice on how to improve this.**

**Please leave feedback!**


	15. Chapter 15: Night

Chapter 15:

Night

"And so," Sarjeth said, jabbing his finger on the map which he had thrust under the general's nose, "we propose a full-scale strike upon the Broman landscape, first a Halictid raid, then an invasion, starting at this beach here" -he pointed- "here, and here."

"Why the northern border?" asked the general. "It seems easier to move in on Broma from the west."

"The south-western border would bring us too close to Relash," Davinathe interjected. "War with Relash is to be avoided at any cost."

"The northern border is too close to Capharon," the other pointed out, "which we are already at war with."

Davinathe raised his head so that he looking at the officer with an inscrutable expression. "General Aeshaan," he said, "I value your advice, but I believe a quick and concentrated attack from the northern strait between the two Dreithegan continents would bring Broma to its knees, like a quick thrust of the sword straight to the heart."

Aeshaan sighed. "Such an attack would require about two-hundred thousand men, Lord Minister."

"No," Davinathe said, "we need half of those men here in Yaldego."

Aeshaan blinked. "What for?"

Davinathe glared at the general, who fell silent. "Besides," he said, "the Taledrevan device will bring it all to an end."

Now Aeshaan scowled. "You put a lot of faith in this Helial weapon," he said stiffly, "but I remind you that firstly, you don't know if it will even work, and secondly, if the Valdarans don't confiscate it once they find out what it does, the Edrens will."

"It will bring the alien powers down as well," Davinathe insisted. "They won't dare attack a world with such an asset."

The general sighed. He honestly felt that even Etalih Innai wouldn't cow the aliens, but Davinathe was convinced that the device was the key to global polity. In truth Aeshaan had started to wonder about Davinathe's state of mind, but he wasn't in any position to investigate the possibility. "There's still the matter of whether the device even functions or not," he added carefully.

"I've had a report telling me that we're making progress." Davinathe returned Aeshaan's cold stare. "I wonder if your heart is truly in this victory, General."

A lesser man than Aeshaan would have backed down at Davinathe's suspicious scrutiny, but Aeshaan drew himself higher, and quietly retorted, "My heart is with Yaldego, Lord Minister, and I don't want to see my men butchered or my country at the mercy of two powerful alien forces because its government underestimated its enemies."

Davinathe and Sarjeth continued to stare at Aeshaan , the former expressionless, and the latter with contempt; but before anyone could say anything, the radio came on. Still glowering at the general, Sarjeth turned to turn the radio off, but then he froze as he heard the report.

"Listen to this," he said to Davinathe, as he turned the volume up:

"The Legislature of Relash has voted in favor of Lord Scirithar's proposal, with only nine dissenters. The Speaker of the Legislature had now made the following announcement:

"_Whereas, the Imperial Pratethate of Yaldego has committed unprovoked acts of war against the government and people of the Republic of Relash, therefore it is resolved between the Legislature of Relash and the Lord Governor's Council that from this day onward Relash will consider itself at war with Yaldego. The state of war between Relash and Yaldego is hereby formally declared, and the Lord Governor is authorized and directed to employ the entire navy and military forces of Relash to carry on war against the enemy, until the conflict is brought to a successful termination."_

"Turn it off," Davinathe said, and Sarjeth obeyed.

"I thought Scirithar had only given you a warning," Sarjeht said, looking confused and disbelieving.

"He had," Davinathe confirmed icily. He sunk into silence for a moment, before adding slowly, "Scirithar knows."

"About the device?" Sarjeth asked incredulously.

"Of course he does," Aeshaan snapped. "Don't think the Republic hasn't been standing idly by while its neighboring Dreithegan countries, Broma and Capharon, fight the Pratethate. Relash has been watching, looking out for its own safety. Lord Minister, you remember their outrage at our arming ourselves with antimats. Did you really expect them to take this well?"

Davinathe was now visibly shaking with anger. "Sarjeth," he said sourly, "contact Yadathrin. It's time we put an end to their espionage. Relash has uncovered classified Yaldegan information one too many times."

* * *

The guest chambers at the Lord Governor's palace in Izqavid were not as luxurious as they had been at the Pratethate palace in Gavarik, but Rose found them more comfortable, and certainly in better condition than her room at the rebel base in Achtari. Izqavid was an enormous city, partially Genthakl forest like Genicapharon, but containing enormous skyscrapers in clearings that stretched out higher than even the forest canopy. It had taken nearly an hour, in Lord Scirithar's Halictid, no less, to arrive at the palace, once the pilot first had announced that they had crossed the city limits.

Seated on the divan by the window, Rose glanced out at the city, watching the Halictids roar by like giant insects, her thoughts at the next-door Relashian Legislature, where she knew Lord Scirithar to be in conference with his intelligence agents. In accordance wtih Relashian policy, Rose wasn't permitted to accompany Scirithar to this conference, nor were Sadarin or even Lord Feyathrin. Scirithar would summon them when their presence was permitted, but in the meantime, Rose simply had to wait. She began to understand why the Doctor hated that activity so much.

There was a light knock on the door, and without waiting for an answer, Sadarin entered the room.

"Are you getting settled?" he asked.

Rose nodded. "Is it time to go yet?"

"No," Sadarin told her, "but I expect someone will inform us within the next hour or so. I was just told that Yaldego has returned Relash's declaration of war..."

"That's hardly surprising," Rose said.

"... and that Cattis has also declared war on Yaldego."

Rose stared. "The country where the Evanyn dynasty used to rule? How come?"

"They gave a blank check to Relash supporting them in every action many years ago," Sadarin said. "Once Relash accepted it, the Yaldegans could do nothing about it. Besides, you can imagine that the Cattisians have despised Yaldego ever since Pratethan Velathin."

Rose nodded. "Two whole hemispheres fighting each other," she said slowly. "I hope it doesn't last long."

"You're not the only one," Sadarin said in an undertone. Then he added, "Oh, and I was also just informed that Scirithar intends to take us to the Izqavid Research and Development center later today."

Rose frowned. "I didn't know Relash had one too."

Sadarin shrugged. "It's not as well-known as the one in Sanandrias, and I don't think they have any concealed Helial weapons in there, like Yaldegans' laboratory. I was under the impression that it mostly holds devices that the Relashians have acquired from Valdaran or Edren merchants. Relash tends to be on better terms with the Valdarans than Yaldego."

Rose wasn't surprised by this. "Given the way the Valdarans are treated at Gavarik, it comes as no surprise."

Sadarin nodded. "The other Valdarans are still stuck there under Pratethate scrutiny, and from what I'm told, since your 'abduction,' the alien diplomats' freedoms have been further restricted. I don't think it will be long before Valdar sends a ship to withdraw the diplomats from Cypnov entirely."

"What about Kabid?" asked Rose. "Is she leaving too?"

Sadarin shook his head. "No idea. She doesn't take sides, save where it's in Valdar's interest, so she doesn't tell us anything."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "I'm amazed that you trust her, given Cypnov's history with alien powers."

"By nature the Valdarans are generally more..." Sadarin broke off here; he appeared to be struggling to think of a word.

"Empathetic?" Rose suggested.

"I was going to say generous," Sadarin said, "but yes. The Valdarans are quite empathetic. It's part of their psyche. It's the Edrens who are more worrisome, but they're quite distant, and the experts believe that they're more interested in planets in a different sector."

"They've taken to space-faring imperialism, then?" Rose asked in interest.

"They returned to space nearly two hundred years ago," Sadarin confirmed.

"You'd think they'd take greater interest in Cypnov, because of the water and iron supply here."

Sadarin snorted. "I think the Edroeity took one look at the political situation here and said 'Forget it.' Mind you, it didn't stop their merchants from turning up."

Rose couldn't help but smile at this. "Never get involved in a land war in Asia."

Sadarin looked confused. "Sorry?"

"Nothing," Rose said, still grinning. "It's a commonly-used saying on my planet."

At that moment, the communicator on Sadarin's leather wristlet buzzed, and he hit a button. "Yes?"

"Commander Theletaos," Lord Feyathrin's voice said, "Scirithar's office just called. We can meet him at the Capitol now."

* * *

The Doctor rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, feeling a rare headache building up, but a glance to his left and he could see the Sestati guards watching him very closely. They were easy to identify because of the steel badges they wore on their uniforms, and by the way the lab workers avoided them, and there were always two. A group of them, he was certain, kept round-the-clock surveillance in the lab, but these two were in the open, and they were watching _him._

He looked away, and returned his attention to the dethernide panel in his hands. It was a few degrees from the perfect balance to perform the function Davinathe wanted, but if it was off even slightly, the panels would shatter upon detonation. If the Yaldegans launched it, the panels breaking would be even more catastrophic than if they functioned perfectly, but it also gave the Doctor an idea worthy of Penelope and her tapestry. Drawing the attention of a technician, the Doctor asked, "Have you got anything which could re-align the molecules in this panel?"

The technician blinked. "Sorry?"

"The alignment decays after a long period of time," the Doctor explained, "usually over the course of a couple of centuries. The detonation will never function until the alignment is brought to perfect balance."

Hearing this, Yaret Saran the chief scientist drew nearer. "How can we fix it?"

"Easiest way is with a sonic blaster," the Doctor shrugged. "But from what I've seen of this lab, there's no such equipment."

Saran looked worried. "Then what do we do about it?"

"Melt the crystals and allow them to crystallize in a mold to recast the panels," the Doctor told him. "Only way."

"How long will it take?" asked Saran.

"Don't know," the Doctor said. "Few weeks, perhaps? Depends on the conditions."

He smiled inwardly. The truth was, it actually took years for dethernide to crystallize. The Doctor could easily fix the alignment in a moment with his sonic screwdriver, but he wasn't about to tell Saran that, and anyway, the Sestati had confiscated the tool and he wasn't likely to get it back anytime soon. He just hoped he could trick Saran into melting the dethernide; in doing so, he'd delay progress on the device by at least five years.

Saran, however, appeared to lack the required patience. "Build a sonic blaster," he ordered sharply. "We'll provide or import any required materials."

The Doctor's hearts sank in disappointment. He supposed Saran feared Davinathe's impatience more than the device actually functioning, but he still could delay. There were other aspects to the weapon that the Radalan scientists surely couldn't understand, and he could easily take advantage of that.

"Let's worry about the crystals last," he said casually. "In the meantime, I ought to look at the converter."

As he turned, the Doctor noticed a bolt holding the electromagnetic coils in position. Glancing at the Sestati guards, the Doctor turned again so that his back was facing them, and quickly loosened the bolt, shifting the coil's position by a degree. Any small thing to delay completion was the key, something seemingly insignificant which could take the technicians time to notice or locate. Glancing at the Sestati again, the Doctor satisfied himself that they had seen nothing.

He didn't notice Saran watching him with narrowed eyes.

* * *

The Rose's surprise, Scirithar was at the palace, rather than the Captiol, waiting for them byhis Halictid. His pilot beckoned to them, and they approached just as the Lord Governor stepped out of the Halictid, gesturing for them to get in.

"Where are we going?" asked Feyathrin as he met Scirithar. "I thought the Capitol was within walking distance."

"We're not going to the Capitol," Scirithar said as Rose clambered into the ornithopter. "It's too public a place and I don't want the Yaldegans to find out that Miss Tyler is helping us."

As Rose sat down, she caught sight of a large Radalan man seated across from her, dressed in the navy-blue uniforms of the Relashian army, but his uniform was adorned with several metals and badges; he was clearly more than a soldier. The officer scrutinized her in interest for a moment, while Scirithar and Feyathrin were in conversation, and as Sadarin took his seat next to Rsoe, the officer stood and gave Rose a short bow. Still unused to the almost Victorian manners of Cypnov, Rose refrained from rolling her eyes.

"General Dalage," the officer greeted, "and you must be the Tyler alien."

Rose nodded, but couldn't think of a reply to this. She wasn't sure how to respond to being called 'the Tyler alien.' As Dalage took his seat again, and Scirithar and Feyathrin found theirs, the pilot stuck his head out from the cabin.

"All ready?" he asked Scirithar, who nodded in reply.

A moment later, the engines roared into life, but Scirithar's Halictid, unlike the ones Rose previously had flown in, had well-insulated walls that muffled the sound enough to allow for normal conversation (without shouting), which was fortunate because it clearly was what Scirithar intended.

"Rose, Sadarin, Lord Feyathrin," Scirithar began, "This is General Tial Dalage, high-ranking general and head of the intelligence program. He will give you a summary of the Shathar mission, as is currently planned, basically what was discussed in our meeting this morning."

"I have consulted with our chief Moberian agent," Dalage told them, "who has sent me data concerning the prison in question. The spy, Crotar, as he is code-named, tells me that Shathar is about a thirty-minute flight north of Sanandrias, and while he does not completely know the ins and outs of Shathar, he will be able to get a schematic of the place."

"What sort of prison is it?" asked Sadarin. Rose was sure that he was thinking of Kodiferan, as she was.

"It's not a Sestati labor camp," Dalage informed him. "There are perhaps two-hundred prisoners inside. It is larger than the prison at Greyalden, but quite a bit smaller than detainments such as Kadal'k or Kodiferan."

"So you've got a plan?" Rose asked.

"Crotar seems to have an idea, though he says he'll finalize it once he has all the assets he needs, which we must find a way to send to him."

"Assets?" Sadarin repeated. "Like what?"

"Ten men, for starters," Scirithar said, "and equipment from the laboratory, where we are headed now."

"Currently, the largest dilemma is getting all this to Crotar," Dalage continued. "The Yaldegans have blocked access to all of Mober and Brazim, and it will be extremely difficult to approach the country." He grunted. "It would take an armada of Halictids and airships for starters, and that's hardly inconspicuous."

This, however, gave Rose an idea. "What's the nearest city to Sanandrias on the Moberian coast?"

"That would be Shanend, I think," Dalage said, his brow furrowed in concentration. "It's about an hour's flight from Sanandrias."

"What if you staged an air raid against Shanend, and during the raid, we parachuted into the country and met up with Crotar?"

Dalage and Scirithar fell silent and looked at each other, both considering the idea. Finally, Dalage said, "That would be a good scheme, except there is the problem of you possibly being seen, Miss Tyler, should you insist on being part of the rescue team. No offense, but you stand out."

"Her being seen would be less likely undercover of darkness," Sadarin pointed out "and anyway, if you can't see her clearly, she could just as easily be an Edren."

"You really are determined to be a part of this?" Dalage asked. Rose nodded, and Dalage looked at Sadarin. "I hope you're right, Commander. If the Yaldegans identify her, they'll instantly know what's going on. We must succeed on the first try, because it's the only try we've got."

"You're not going to keep me here, then?" Rose asked.

"I'm not going to try to stop you," Dalage said, "because we may need you, regardless of the risk."

Half an hour after they took flight, Rose felt the Halictid start its descent, and a few minutes later, she climbed out of the ornithopter to see that it had landed in a crevice in an escarpment which she supposed was the edge of the Relash Plateau. A couple of uniformed guards awaited the party, and as soon as the five visitors got off the Halictid, a man in a white tunic approached them from a metal door in the wall of the crevice.

"Lord Governor," the man greeted.

"Good to see you again, Samej." Scirithar clapped him on the shoulder. Turning to the others, he said, "this is Samej Kana. He's in charge of this laboratory, and he's one of Cypnov's best minds."

Kana shot Scirithar an annoyed look. "Lord Scirithar would have you think so." He then caught sight of Rose. "Lord, you weren't joking, were you?"

"Manners, Samej," Scirithar scolded, but he was smiling. "This is Rose Tyler. She's our guest today."

"You _do_ look like a Helial," Kana remarked, "but then again, I'm told that thousands of species bear that shape."

Rose shrugged. "From a completely different galaxy," she said.

"Whatever you are, you're most welcome here," Kana said warmly. "I'm told that you can give us a bit of input on some of the devices here, particularly the ones needed in Mober."

"I'll have to see them first," Rose said. "And as long as you're not asking me to build some super weapon like the Yaldegans..."

Kana shook his head. "Nothing like that. Come and see."

Unlike what Rose had been told about the R&D lab in Sanandrias, the Relashian lab appeared to be made up of dozens of smaller rooms, the artifacts apparently sorted by type. The corridor Kana led the party down was quite long, but they didn't go far before the scientists showed them into a room.

"Most of the equipment Crotar has asked for is in here," he told Scirithar.

The governor nodded and strode in, beckoning for the others to follow him. He and Kana then stopped in front of a table with small circular devices with a red button in the center. Picking one up, Scirithar handed it to Rose. "This is a recent innovation, courtesy of a merchant from Valdar. Can you tell me what it is?"

Rose held the device up high, turning to get better light. After a moment in which she turned it over, and then picked up another, one which had the back removed so that she could see the inside, she put down both. Thinking for a moment, she finally said, "They contain quantum manipulators with a stabiliser, and if I'm not mistaken," -She picked the device up again- "it contains a single coordinate sequence which probably matches a nearby receptor. Am I right?"

Kana nodded, looking impressed.

"This is a handheld teleport," Rose concluded. "Somewhere in here, you must have a capsule this would transport you to."

"You are quite correct," Kana said. "It's upstairs. We test it every day."

Rose put the teleport down. "Do they work?" she asked.

"The original which the merchant provided does," Scirithar said. "Samej tells me that these replicas don't quite work."

Kana nodded. "The last object we tested it on..."

"Scattered into atoms?" Rose suggested.

"Yes."

"That's the stabiliser," Rose said. "It could be these, or it could be the receptor. I could help you fix it, if you like. Shouldn't take that long."

Scirithar thanked her. "That would be of enormous help."

"Now here," Kana said, gesturing at another table, "we have something Crotar also thinks might prove useful in this breakout. We acquired these from an Edren explorer."

He handed a long, cylindrical device to Rose. "Be careful with that."

Rose didn't need telling twice. "It's a photon pulsator," she said. "Just the thing for building laser rifles."

Kana nodded.

"I should warn you that the Yaldegans still will have guns," Rose told Scirithar, "and bullets are just as good as lasers. En fait, lasers are actually better as sniper weapons, no matter what Sontarans say."

Scirithar scratched his ear, frowning. "Yes, I suppose that's true. But Crotar seems to think they'll be necessary, and so far, they seem to all work. They appear to be easier to build than teleports."

"No kidding." Rose put the laser down, and caught sight of another table. "What are those?"

Kana looked in the direction she was pointing, and picked up one of the rectangular devices. "These? They're components of a cropped magnetic field, but it's not something Crotar asked for."

Rose ignored this. "You place them in a circle and they generate a dome-shaped shield. Am I right?"

Kana nodded.

"What generates the force field?"

"Iota-type qartzide."

Rose exhaled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Scirithar raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

Rose was certain she looked very smug, but she replied, "Did you know that if you reverse the polarity of the energy flow and reflect the resulting wave outwards, within the crop you'll get a cordolaine signal?"

A look at the Radalan party told Rose that they hadn't understood a word of this.

"A what?" asked Sadarin?

"A cordolaine signal excites and expands copper," Rose explained.

"How will that help?" asked Dalage.

"Bullet cartridges are usually made of copper," Rose explained, smirking. "But cordolaine signals don't affect lasers."

The others looked at each other for a moment in confusion, then suddenly Sadarin's eyes widened as it dawned on him.

"Oh. _Oh!"_

Now it was Sadarin who grinned like a maniac, and Rose shook her head, feeling very pleased with herself.

* * *

That night, Rose found herself remaining in the laboratory, not unlike the Doctor himself in another laboratory in Mober, but this time she was working voluntarily and carefully, hoping to have the teleports repaired before sunrise. Kana stood beside her for the first hour, watching her work and sometimes taking note of all she did, but after a while, he quieted down and merely gazed at her with his eyes drooping. By midnight, he was fast asleep.

Rose did not wake him up, but listened to the radio that he had left on as she worked. The most interesting thing that had occurred all night was the Valdaran ship that appeared at Gavarik earlier that day, which withdrew the diplomats to take them home until Cypnov's world war ended. She wondered if Kabid had gone with them, or if she had remained at Achtari to continue investigating the Etalih Innai project. The Relashians had started a raid over Fianore, a Moberian industrial city next to the Yaldegan border, which she supposed was unconnected to the pending Shathar mission, though it would serve the ruse at Shanend.

The two sides battled it out over cities, and Rose supposed that it was only a matter of time before the Yaldegans attacked Izqavid; but in the Izqavid laboratory, all was silent, like a calm before the storm. She wished she knew how the Doctor was doing. At that moment, she wished more than anything that she could see him and Donna before here, here and now, safe from the Sestati's cruelty. But they were not, which was why Rose was now seated at this table, fixing handheld teleports.

By noon the next day, she hoped to get started on the cordolaine signal; it was the best way to ensure things went smoothly at Shathar; but as she had seated herself at the table with Kana, ready to begin work, Scirithar informed her that Crotar hoped to have the team and the equipment arrive in Mober in two days.

"I have one day to fix these?" Rose had asked incredulously as Scirithar prepared to depart for his palace.

"One day," he confirmed. "You have one to fix them, and one to travel to Mober with the other agents."

"I want my friends safe," Rose said, "but I can't guarantee that I'll have finished by your deadline."

Scirithar shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said, "but Crotar just informed us that this cannot wait. We only have one chance at this, Rose, and he's thinks the Sestati's about to begin a wide-ranging sweep of the whole of Pratethate sovereignty. He wants this over with before it gets too serious."

And so now Rose was pulling an all-nighter, something she had not done since school back on Earth, carefully adjusting the position and circuitry of one of the teleports' quantum manipulators under a powerful magnifying glass, and wishing she had the Doctor's sleep cycle (two hours a night).

Scirithar and Feyathrin had returned to Izqavid hours before, but Sadarin had remained at the lab as well; Rose supposed he had found a place to rest while she worked, because unlike Kana, who was leaning forward in his chair with his head nestling in his wing like a sleeping falcon, Sadarin had not stayed in the lab, perhaps in search of more comfortable accomodations.

A couple of hours after midnight, she had finally finished (she hoped) repairing the last stabilizer on the thirteenth teleport, and reaching to her right, she shook Kana awake.

"Huh?"

"They're ready for testing," Rose said quietly.

Kana nodded and stood, stretching his back and rubbing his neck, before pressing a switch on what appeared to be a communicator on a nearby table.

"Raaj," he called. "Kana to Raaj."

There was silence for a moment as they waited. Rose glanced at the opposite wall, which had a mirror, and could see the dark rings around her eyes that had started to form. She turned back to the communicator, and yawned very widely as she waited.

Finally, a sleepy voice answered, "Raaj here."

"We're ready to test the teleports," Kana said. "Watch the capsule and tell us what happens."

He then stepped away and ducked down under the table, rummaging around for something. A moment later, he asked, "Miss Tyler, could you give me a hand with this?"

Rose stepped beside him and ducked down too to see what he was doing, and a moment later, the two of them hauled a heavy and very realistic Radalan dummy onto the table. Kana picked up one of the teleports, spun a dial on the edge to a timing, and then attached it to the dummy. He then glanced at the digital clock at the front of the room. Ten seconds later, dummy and teleport vanished.

Rose and Kana waited with baited breath for a result from the testing room upstairs, Rose especially nervous. The last thing she needed was for it to go wrong and need revision at this hour.

But she need not have worried. The communicator buzzed, then Kana's assistant exclaimed triumphantly, "It worked! The dummy's in perfect condition, teleport and receptor undamaged."

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps she would be finished by noon after all.

* * *

In a very different lab with a very different atmosphere, an equally tired Time Lord still remained, wondering how much longer the Sestati would keep him there. Having left the torturous pitch black cell, his sensitivity to time had refocused, and the Doctor knew that he now was well into the night shift. It would be morning soon.

He had been disappointed to find that the converter was deadlock sealed on top of all other security measures, rendering it impossible for him to tamper with the liquid energy flows, sonic screwdriver or no. His attempt to get Saran to recrystallize the dethernide had also failed, but at least it had delayed 'progress' on the weapon for another week or so, since he now needed to build a sonic device to fix the problem.

Occasionally the Doctor would tamper with the device when he was sure no one was looking; loosen bolts and adjust coils, remove pieces and hide them in his pocket or under tables. Each time, nothing happened, so he assumed he hadn't been seen. But just as the Sestati appeared to tire and began to discuss whether to end the shift or not, a hand tugged at his shoulder, and he turned to see Yaret Saran standing behind him.

"Come over here," Saran said, a casual note to his voice. "There's one more thing we ought to look at over here."

The Doctor nodded, but he had seen the way Saran had glanced at the Sestati, and wondered what the scientist was about. As he and Saran bent over some odds and ends over one table, their backs turned to the guards, Saran suddenly said in a low tone, "You're sabotaging the device."

The Doctor froze.

"You only agreed to help us to protect your friend in the Shathar prison," Saran continued, bending over a computer chip and pretending to examine it closely. "But you actually intend to delay progress for as long as possible."

"Saran," the Doctor said quietly in a voice he hoped sounded shocked and annoyed, "That is more than my reputation's worth!"

"Or your life's," Saran muttered. "Do you think us stupid, Doctor? I thought you were up to something back when you were suggesting we melt the dethernide panels. We've experimented on this for years, Doctor. I know it takes years for dethernide to crystallize, even if some of the technicians don't."

The Doctor said nothing.

"And I saw you adjust the position to one of the coils," Saran added, "among other things." He paused for a moment, inhaling and exhaling nervously, before adding, "I won't inform the Sestati this time, but I warn you, next time I won't refrain from doing so."

Finally, the Doctor spoke up. "I will not allow the Pratethate to use this thing," he said. "It is far too dangerous and too heinous."

Saran scowled. "That's not your decision to make."

"Then who's decision is it?" the Doctor argued. "Saran, no civilized person would use this thing!"

"The Helials did," Sarain retorted.

"Not as a weapon," countered the Doctor. "This thing was intended as a terriforming device. The Helials were out to colonize, not to destroy."

"Tell that to our civilization which they treated like the dirt beneath their feet," hissed Saran.

The Doctor ignored this. "Saran, surely you don't agree with this!"

Now Saran looked truly uncomfortable, and the Doctor knew these words had made their mark. Hesitantly, the scientist replied, "My opinion doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters!" the Doctor held up a piece of loose wiring, glancing at the Sestati guards as he did so. Neither of them were looking at him. "Don't you realize what this thing does?"

Finally, Saran broke. "Doctor, if I refuse to do this, the Sestati will kill me. If you refuse to help, or if you damage it, I'll have to launch it anyway whenever Davinathe commands it, and imagine what they'll do to all of us if it goes wrong!"

The Doctor sighed. "Saran, the consequences of this going wrong could be far greater than it going right. If it goes wrong, what the Sestati might do will seem minimal. Have you got a wife?"

Saran shot him a look. "She died many years ago."

"You have children?"

"One daughter."

"Would you see your daughter dying a slow, incurable, and painful death?" asked the Doctor seriously. "Or would you see her suffocating with no chance of survival?"

Saran didn't reply.

"Those are only two possible consequences of Davinathe detonating the Etalih Innai device," the Doctor told him, "for the whole of Cypnov. Please, consider what you're doing."

At that moment, a voice came on the intercom. "Attention please, the laboratory will close in five minutes. Please leave your stations and gather your things."

As he turned to face the now approaching Sestati guards, the Doctor glanced at Saran, who still stared at the pieces of machinery on the table, but his eyes were unfocused, his expression painful.

An hour later, Yaret Saran stepped inside his house in the outskirts of Sanandrias, his eyes fixed on a small, three-dimensional photograph of his wife and daughter, one deceased, and one now fully grown but he knew to be in indescribable danger, which he had no power to stop. Whether it was from the secret police or from the possible aftermath of Davinathe's secret weapon, if the Doctor's genius was to be trusted, Meena could be dead within a year. Saran could not protect her from the Etalih Innai device, but perhaps she could escape connection with him.

A few minutes later, Saran sat in his study, his eyes fixed on the handheld gun on the table, and on the communicator nearby. He then turned on the communicator, and fed it coordinates. After a moment, a voice came on, "Yes?"

"Hello Meena," Saran said quietly.

"Father, it's four hours into the morning! Why are you calling at this hour?"

"Meena, this cannot wait," he said. "Please, take the children and go to your grandfather's place."

"Sorry?"

"You heard," Saran said sharply. "Take your family and go to Grandfather Ajith immediately."

"What for?"

"Please, just do as I say," he said, his voice now starting to shake with emotion. "Go to Grandfather's and stay there until it's safe... until things die down."

"Father, what's wrong?"

Saran couldn't reply. In truth, he couldn't think of an answer, but Meena seemed to understand the urgency.

"I'll prepare them to leave within the hour," she said, now sounding truly alarmed.

"Thank you," Saran said.

"Will I see you there?"

Saran hesitated, his eyes on the pistol next to him. Finally he decided to lie, "I don't know."

There was a long silence, and finally Meena asked, "Father?"

Finally, feeling the tears prick his eyes, Saran said, "I love you, daughter."

"Father?"

But Saran turned off the communicator, cutting off Meena's voice. It was done. He picked up the gun and cocked it, before turning to the window, where he could see the stars in the sky, twinkling in a friendly manner, almost beckoning for him. He'd always wanted to touch them, and now he never would, not with his fingers, not with his eyes. The Doctor's warning haunted him, reality screaming at him in such a tormenting way that he could not ignore it, nor did he want a part of it. But he would not put his family in danger by refusing to continue progress on the monstrous weapon the Sestati was building in a research laboratory not five miles from his house.

His eyes fixed on the stars, Yaret Saran pressed the gun against his temple, and pulled the trigger.

* * *

Waking up in the early morning the next day, Rose sat up on the divan she had dozed off on the evening before, and stared out the window across Izqavid again, this time to watch the sunrise. Verkata had yet to show its face, but she hoped that the dazzling pink light that had started to appear on the horizon was a sign of hope, because today was the day. Somewhere on the other side of Cypnov, the Doctor was not aware of it, but she finally was ready. She was coming, and she would do everything in her power to get him and Donna out of prison. From there, she didn't know what they would do, but once the Doctor and Donna were safe, they could decide what they ought to do next, but they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

Within a few hours, Rose would go to the Capitol to meet the team General Dalage had put together to send to Mober, and after the afternoon's preparation, they would go to a military hanger, where a fleet of the Relashian air force would take to the air at sunset and cross the sea, staging a raid upon Shanend and dropping her team into Mober. It was only a matter of hours until then, and days until the rescue attempt.

It was impossible to guess what the result would be, but at the moment Rose could only sit and hope. At the moment, she had to content herself with breathing in the cool morning air, and watching Verkata rise over the slumbering city.

It was only a matter of days until they had a reason to hope again, or until all was lost.

…

**On that note, I'll get ready to go to bed, but I truly am very excited for the next chapter, because it will contain a dramatic scene that I have anticipated for a long time now. Hopefully it will be done before my vacation is over. **

**This chapter doesn't give as tense a cliffhanger as the chapter from "Eve of the Eternal" I posted last Christmas did, but as I said, the next chapter will be full of tension and drama. It is an action-packed chapter, with a scene that I've been looking forward to writing ever since I started this story. But I hope you liked this chapter, and I hope it leaves you in anticipation of the next chapter. **

**This chapter is my Christmas gift to you. All I ask in return is feedback. **

**Merry Christmas! **


	16. Chapter 16: The Refulgent Amaranth

**Wow, this is a long chapter; I even had to cut a scene. But I hope you enjoy it. It gets fun toward the end. **

Chapter 16

The Refulgent Amaranth

Rose must have dozed off at some point while she watched the sunrise, because it seemed that seconds after her eyes closed, she suddenly woke to a strong, clawed hand shaking her shoulder. She started and sat up, blinking at the now brilliant sunlight streaming into her window, and she turned away from the window, she saw Sadarin standing over her.

"Time to go," he said unnecessarily.

Rose rubbed her eyes and slid off the divan with a yawn. "Where are we headed?"

"There's a military hangar in the uninhabited forest about an hour's flight from here," Sadarin informed her. "The fleet will take off this afternoon from there. General Dalage has assembled a Dioscuri team and we'll meet them there."

Rose nodded. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

"I'll meet you in Scirithar's private dining room then," Sadarin told her. He then started toward the door, but before quitting the room, he added, "Raquin sent a someone here with a delivery for you, which arrived about an hour ago. Just in time too, because we expect you to use it on this mission."

This last bit was said in Sadarin's most stringent tone of voice, and with raised eyebrows Rose looked in the direction that he was pointing. She was vaguely surprised to see a set of full-body armor on the writing table in the corner, evidently designed for her humanoid form. She turned to ask Sadarin when this was made, but he had already left the room. Rose arched her back with a groan and massaged her stiff neck gingerly, before turning to the newly made armor. She was quite bewildered initially over where on earth the Capharon armorers got her measurements, until she remembered an occasion in Achtari shortly after she agreed to help Sadarin's rebellion, when after her first session with Kabid and Temenir over the Etalih Innai project, Rose returned to her quarters to find a tailor and another Radalan waiting for her there. Apparently Raquin had hired them to make her some new sets of clothes, something she'd found immensely relieving after they'd finished the painfully exasperating process of taking her measurements and analyzing out her shape. The most annoying part was when the tailor awkwardly asked if she was willing to lend him the clothes she had arrived in (the only set she had at the time) so he could possibly imitate their design. Rose, very glad that the Doctor and Donna couldn't see her, had ended up wearing a toga for the rest of that day.

She hadn't given much thought to the other, more burly Radalan who had accompanied that tailor, and didn't do much except record the measurements, except that she had thought it odd that a tailor's assistant would be dressed in a military outfit. Now that she thought about it, she supposed he was actually an armorer.

Picking up the blue-gray breastplate, Rose was surprised at how light it was. Cypnov that far ahead of Earth in terms of technology, but it appeared that the Radalans had developed synthetic, fibrous armors which was lightweight as well as strong. On the other hand, the avian, airborne Radalans probably would have had to.

She then opened up the breastplate and fitted it over herself, tightening the straps on the side to secure it in place, and satisfied, she proceeded with the other pieces. After another fifteen minutes, Rose then stood before the mirror on the other side of the room, examining herself. She looked like a Mongolian raider from some sort of 23rd century Golden Horde; and the armor was tight across the chest, causing Rose to feel like she was wearing a corset. Sincerely hoping the breakout wouldn't involve much running, she bent over a little, testing its flexibility.

Satisfied that she was as comfortable as it was possible for her to get, Rose also left the room and wandered down the hallways of the Lord Governor's palace until she found the dining chamber Sadarin had earlier referred to. The exiled Pratethate warlord, who was seated by a glass cabinet, didn't react to the still-somewhat uncomfortable armor Rose wore.

"Lord Feyathrin's waiting for us downstairs," he said. "He was just up here a moment ago to tell us that the pilot's losing patience."

Rose grunted. "Do I get any breakfast before we go?"

"I think we'll be given something on the Halictid," Sadarin shrugged. "We'd better get going before Feyathrin comes up and drags us down by the tail."

Rose followed him out of the room, and as they descended the last staircase, she asked, "So who else is on this team?"

"The Dioscuri is the Relashian intelligence agency," Sadarin explained, "Dalage has had them put together a squad of agents for this mission. Feyathrin has already met one of them, an experienced and trustworthy man who goes under the name Mandahar, so he'd be able to tell you more about him."

"And what about this Crotar?" asked Rose.

Sadarin shrugged. "Don't know. He's such an undercover operative that Scirithar still won't tell me much about him."

They soon reached the helipad, where Feyathrin waited by a black Halictid, a different ornithopter from Scirithar's. In the cockpit, Rose could see the pilot watching them, and indeed, he did look impatient. Feyathrin, on the other hand, raised his eyebrows at the sight of Rose's outfit, looking her up and down, before nodding approvingly.

"You look ready for this," he said.

"I look ridiculous," Rose retorted.

"It'll do for this mission," Sadarin said dispassionately.

"Are you going with the Dioscuri team?" asked Feyathrin. Rose thought she heard disquiet in the overlord's voice.

"No," Sadarin replied. "You're not the only Capharon who believes I'm needed in the Dreithegan hemisphere."

This wasn't much of a surprise. Rose wished Sadarin could come, now that she had warmed up to him, but he was right. He played too vital a role in the Capharon military to risk being caught in Mober. Before anyone could reply to Sadarin's statement, however, a movement brought their attention to the Halictid entrance, where they saw the pilot with tightly folded arms, swaying backwards and forwards in annoyance.

"I think we'd better get on board," Rose said, grinning in spite of herself.

* * *

Mandahar, Dioscuri Beta of the Operation Amaranthine squad, stood with the other nine, turning one of the handheld teleports over and over in his hands as he waited patiently for the Halictid to arrive, having heard earlier that it had departed from Izqavid. The Halictid was directed to land in the area Mandahar now stood in, somewhat apart from the rest of the hangar, because Dalage and Scirithar wanted the presence of the alien guest to be kept quiet, but in the vast, concrete tract that stretched out before him, the takeoff area for most of the fleet, he could see dozens of Halictids and five or six airships near the runway, preparing to lift off within the hour, on their way to Shanend. Mandahar's Halictid, newly refueled, obscured most of this view, however, but stood before him, ready to lift off at a moment's notice.

"All is prepared?" General Dalage asked from behind Mandahar.

"Yes sir. Iyezrin's loaded the teleports, lasers, and cordolaine devices in the ornithopter already."

Dalage nodded. "You know your instructions?"

"Of course," Mandahar said.

"Have you met the alien before?" asked Dalage.

Mandahar shook his head, and they fell into silence. Then after a moment, Mandahar asked, "Do you think it's wise, bringing her with us? She's not exactly inconspicuous."

Dalage shot Mandahar a look. "Crotar will send someone to meet you when you land. You're pilot's got instructions on where to drop you off. You know the signal the agent will send you. As for Miss Tyler, you are to keep her under cover at all times once you land. No one outside of Crotar's designated team is to see her. If the Sestati hears any report of anyone described as Helial, Time Lord, or anything of that basic shape so close to the Shathar prison, your cover could be blown."

"And if somebody sees her?" asked Mandahar.

Dalage looked up at the sky, possibly seeking out the Halictid bringing the alien. "Then you must take care that the witness informs no one."

A long silence followed this statement, broken only by the distant groans of the flying machines in the nearby lot. Mandahar watched as the rest of the team stood nearby, watching the sky like Dalage, including the guest, which the Overlord of Achtari had sent to join the mission. He leaned forwards slightly, scratching the back of his neck roughly, and wincing as his fingers grazed over a sore which smarted nastily, but unable to give any argument to the dangers of taking the Helial-shaped alien with them on this dangerous mission. Apparently Rose Tyler was a technological expert, and they needed her to help prepare the cordolaine devices she had created.

Finally the silence ended when a roar from somewhere above the runway met their ears, and they looked up to see a Halictid descending into the airport. Mandahar watched as the aircraft touched down on the runway and in the next few minutes, steered into the helipad where the rest of the team waited. Finally the Halictid came to a halt, its door opened, and someone inside lowered the stairs, before three people exited the ornithopter. The first Mandahar recognized as Lord Maset Feyathrin, who greeted him and Dalage in a friendly but solemn manner. Next exited a man who looked Yaldegan ethnically, but was dressed in Capharon uniform. Feyathrin introduced this newcomer as Sadarin Theletaos (as Mandahar had correctly assumed him to be), the exiled Pratethate warlord. And finally Rose Tyler the alien also descended from the new Halictid.

Mandahar had only ever seen pictures of Helials, of course, but he was amazed at how much she resembled them, though Scirithar believed her to be one of the Helials' reputed rivals, the Time Lords. They were similar in form to the neighboring Edrens, although they lacked some of the distinguishing characteristics. Rose was also wearing armor that looked to have been designed by the Capharons, though fitted to her shape. Despite their Cypnovan origin, Mandahar thought this soldier-like appearance made her look more like a Helial than ever. She truly did stand out, and this would definitely make sneaking into Shathar extremely dangerous.

A moment later, Feyathrin showed Theletaos and the alien to Mandahar, who clasped the exile's hand in greeting, before turning to give Rose the customary bow, but to his surprise, she held her hand out to clasp his as well. Perhaps her customs were different.

"It's a pleasure," Rose said politely. "Feyathrin's told us a bit about you."

"So who's the rest of your team?" asked Theletaos, turning to survey them. A moment later, his eyes fell on the second guest. "Delbadar?" he said incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"Scirithar contacted us a couple of days ago and asked if any of us wished to be a part of this," Delbadar Ervalon said.

"He asked Raquin to supply someone for this team?" repeated Theletaos. "What for?"

"Most of our agents are already abroad," Dalage explained. "We were short of the amount Crotar requested by one. Ervalon volunteered to fill in the gap."

"And Raquin allowed it?" Theletaos asked in amazement.

"He could hardly stop me," Delbadar countered.

Rose looked surprised to see Delbadar there too, and Mandahar thought that if her species' facial expressions were anything like Radalan expressions, she also looked a little concerned that Delbadar would risk her life in this mission.

"All right!" Dalage suddenly called, and they all fell silent. Stepping before the squad, the general ran his fingers through the ruffled crown of cerulean feathers at the top of his head, and asked, "Have you all reviewed Crotar's instructions?"

No one replied.

"As I was telling Mandahar just now," Dalage continued, "Crotar will send someone to meet you when you land. The agent will take you to a safe house outside Shanend, where Crotar will be waiting for you. But all of you, remember this: _you must not be seen._ This is vital to the success of the mission. You must not be seen, and the equipment you carry must not be lost or damaged. Above all, you are to keep your alien assistant hidden and protected at all times. You are to follow Crotar's instructions to the letter. Is that understood?"

The others were silent for a moment. Then Iyezrin stepped forward. "It is understood, General."

"Then I wish you all the luck the world has to offer you," Dalage said. Then he beckoned to their Halictid, indicating that they were to board it.

As Mandahar passed Rose, Delbadar, and Sadarin, he heard the latter say to the former, "I hope you get your friends out of Shathar and back to safety," in a quiet but sincere voice.

* * *

The fleet took to the air moments after the Dioscuri squad boarded their Halictid, allowing the general to announce the fleet to prepare to depart. Rose could hear the first group of Halictids taking off, and as she did, she asked Delbadar, "How long does it take to get there?"

"Seven hours," Delbadar replied, and then added in a sarcastic tone, "Sound's pleasant, doesn't it?"

Rose laughed quietly, before muttering, "You know, I'm really glad you're here, actually."

She glanced at the stony-faced Dioscuri agents as she spoke, and Delbadar smiled. "They are a bit intimidating, to say the least," she said quietly, "but Scirithar assures me that they're highly reliable."

Rose could readily believe it, and she was agreed with Delbadar that they were somewhat intimidating. For all his politeness, she had found Mandahar to be a severe but strong-minded individual who expected his agents to obey every detail of his commands, and it wasn't much surprise that Dalage had picked him to help lead the mission. Next to Mandahar sat a man called Iyezrin, Dioscuri Gamma, who had the face of a lion safeguarding his territory. Next to Delbadar sat another group, Achfirin, Ruelen, and Kleri, three cousins who looked undersized but Rose was told were very good at using firearms. Szaazra was examining one of the Edren lasers with unnerving fascination. Telfi and Kaasic spoke to each other in low voices, and Ixtredir seemed to be staring at Rose with an unreadable expression.

The second group of Halictids took off, and their own Halictid began to move forward to get in line. She understood that it was to take off with the last group.

Rose knew that the Dioscuri agents, particularly Mandahar and Iyezrin, had reservations about her coming. In all honesty, she knew it wasn't totally practical herself. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she would be needed. She closed her prosthetic hand into a tight fist and placed her natural hand on top of it, tapping the back of the metal hand with her right forefinger thoughtfully.

Seeing this, Delbadar asked, "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your hand?"

Startled by the question, Rose looked at the Cypnovan and suddenly felt the familiar stirring of anger and terror that had plagued her since her escape from the Helial Void Ship as she thought about the loss of her left hand. Inhaling deeply, Rose tried to mask these emotions by looking less upset and more reminiscent. Some of the hurt must have appeared, though, because Delbadar instantly looked away.

"I'm sorry," she said hastily. "If you don't want to talk about it…"

"It's nothing," Rose said. "But to answer your question, it was amputated."

"Infection?" Delbadar asked, still not looking at Rose.

"Something like that."

At that moment a blaring, roaring bellow crashed upon Rose's eardrums, causing her to clutch the sides of her head and bend down with a shriek. It was like standing in front of a stadium amplifier, except one that was droning out the buzzing of bees at its fullest volume. Like a buzzing beehive, the roar did not stop. Instead it went on and on, boring into Rose's ears like a drill, and looking up she saw the others also clutching their ears, their expressions ones of agony.

After what seemed like ages, the sound seemed to fade, and then grow slightly higher in pitch, a similar sound to an airplane taking flight, but it left her ears ringing loudly.

"Bloody hell," she exclaimed as soon as the ringing faded. "What was that?"

"The airships," Delbadar answered, massaging the areas around her ears. "You saw them. They're huge. They need powerful engines, and… well, they're quite loud."

"I noticed," Rose said. "How the hell do the people on board those things manage flying eight hours with _that_ just outside their walls?"

Delbadar laughed. "One of Cypnov's most useful invention was what we call Dinfilters; earplugs which completely block outside sound and instead transmit an alternate sound into the wearer's ears, including what other people tell it to say. It's like a communicator, except it completely deafens you to everything else."

"And everyone on board those airships is wearing a set?" asked Rose.

"Makes it bearable," Delbadar said with a shrug.

Once he finished nursing his ears, Mandahar then stood and said, "Now, as you all know, someone is going to meet us outside of Shanend to take us across country. The pilot has been instructed to fly low past the city limits, so we can drop down into the trees."

"How is she getting down?" Iyezrin asked, pointing at Rose.

"Four of you will have to carry her," Mandahar said, shrugging.

Rose did not like the sound of that at all, and judging by the others' faces, they didn't either. She was sure that some of the squad, Szaazra and Ruelen in particular, looked quite strong, but Rose was much heavier than the average Radalan, and she didn't think it unlikely that she would just plummet like a sack of bricks, even with four Radalans trying to carry her. The thrill of flying laid aside, she didn't fancy being a pancake in an air raid like she nearly became in 1941.

Mandahar too seemed to be sizing up his teammates, and finally he said, "Right, Ixtredir, Szaazra, Achfirin, and Ruelen, you can be the ones to lower Miss Tyler down." Turning to Telfi and Kaasic, he said, "You two will carry the cordolaine devices, and Iyezrin and I will bring the teleports."

Rose thought she heard Delbadar mutter, "Because they're much lighter than anything else we all have to carry."

"How soon do we leave?" asked Ixtredir, as they heard the third group of Halictids take off.

"It shouldn't be long now," Iyezrin answered him. Right on cue, they felt the gentle lurch as the Halictid began moving toward the runway.

The others fell silent, waiting. Mandahar sat down and stretched his legs out. "Enjoy yourself while you can," he said sarcastically. "We have seven hours."

* * *

"Lord Minister!"

Davinathe looked up from a stack of papers on his desk, reports of the damage from Fianore to see General Aeshaan standing in the doorway, giving him a salute. Davinathe glared at him for a moment, before giving him a slight nod, permitting his entry. Aeshaan cautiously entered the room and shut the door as Davinathe said, "Is this the best your air force can do against the Relashian air raids?"

"I assure you that we're doing our best to beat them back, and I am quite sorry if what is physically possible isn't good enough for you," Aeshaan retorted.

Davinathe set down a page. "I should hang you," he said calmly.

"Undoubtedly you'd like to," Aeshaan replied in just as calm a voice, "except you need me."

Davinathe leaned back in his chair a little. "What is it, General?" he asked irritably.

"We've just detected a Relashian armada headed for the Shanend coast," Aeshaan told him. "It appears to be an air raid, like at Fianore."

"Then send out an armada to meet them," Davinathe said.

"We can't send one on the offensive large enough to halt them," Aeshann told him. "Not without retreating from Fianore or from the Broman blockade. I thought it would interest you, however, that Shanend isn't very far from Sanandrias; it may even be Sanandrias they intend to attack."

This did catch Davinathe's full attention, and he sat up straight. "The laboratory," he said, looking alarmed, but then he relaxed again. "It's too far underground to be damaged in an air raid," he reminded Aeshaan.

"True," the general said, "but the fact that the Relashian air force is targeting so many cities along the Shanend coast raises the possibility that they might attempt to invade Mober from there."

Davinathe blinked, but could see Aeshaan's point. "Then we'll have to relocate the project," he said. "Send Sarjeth to me. We're going to contact Yadathrin."

"Of course sir," Aeshaan gave with an ironic smile. As he left the room, however, his smile vanished as he reflected upon Davinathe's priorities. Of course, Ferjhaal Davinathe, once a Sestati officer like Yadathrin, was a depraved man, so depraved that he cared more about the safety of a secret weapon than about all the people living in those coastline cities.

* * *

Rose's back ached. So did her head, and everyone else on the Halictid, judging from their expressions. She could have sworn that even her prosthetic hand was aching. Air travel was uncomfortable on every planet.

In a corner, she could see Mandahar with a headset on, muttering into a microphone, but the others were inactive. Most, including Delbadar, had fallen asleep, but Rose couldn't. The die was cast for her. She didn't know what waited for her in Shathar, but there was no going back at this point.

Glancing at the watch she still wore since she left the Tardis, Rose could see that it had been about six hours since they had departed. It wouldn't be long now before the fleet arrived at Shanend. The raid would probably begin within half an hour. She only hoped this would work. She rubbed her left temple, wishing her metal hand had something like fingernails so she could also scratch her right shoulder blade, but all she could really do was rub it roughly. She thought of the Doctor and Donna, and what they'd had to go through in the past few weeks, and if she had any particular religion, she was sure she'd now be praying for success in this.

After a while, Mandahar stood and stuck his head inside the cockpit to speak to the pilot. A moment later, a sound like a ring tone came on the intercom, causing the others to stir. Delbadar groaned and raised her head from where it had fallen on Rose's shoulder.

A moment later Mandahar left the cockpit and crossed the cabin, and whispered something in Iyezrin's ear. Iyezrin then nodded and ran to the back of the Halictid where Rose could see the boxes she assumed held the equipment she had repaired. Mandahar meanwhile addressed the others.

"The air raid has started," he said. "We'll be there in twenty minutes. In the mean time, we'd better get ready to go."

As he spoke, Iyezrin dragged the largest box closer to the others and prised it open, then pulled out one of the new laser rifles the Izqavid scientists had put together. This he tossed to the nearest person, Ruelen, who caught it with a grunt, and examined it closely. Iyezrin similarly handed rifles to everyone in the cabin, Rose included.

"Tell them what these are," Mandahar said to Rose.

She glanced at the rifle in her hands, before looking at the others. "You are all holding Edren sniper lasers. A shot to the chest or the head from one of these would kill instantly, and they can be fired accurately miles from the target. These are weapons that will work when the cordolaine devices are activated."

"How do we fire them?" asked Telfi.

"There's a small switch in the back," Rose said, holding her rifle up high and showing them. "That turns on the laser. Then you simply pull the trigger. This"- She pointed at a dial over the ion discharge - "controls the settings. Lowest stings but doesn't do much damage beyond a first degree burn. Highest can burn a hole clean through the victim's body, but I think that's a bit overkill."

She saw a couple of the others wince slightly, and was very glad that the Doctor couldn't hear her talking like this. This certainly wasn't something he would approve of, but she couldn't see where they had much choice. It was an uncomfortable possibility to say the least of having to use these weapons, but Rose couldn't think of the Sestati in Shathar without thinking of the Sestati in Kodiferan, and remembering the atrocities they had committed there, she couldn't feel the slightest stirring of merciful sentiment, anymore than she had towards the Daleks at the Game Station.

While she was in the midst of these dark thoughts an outside sound brought Rose back to the present, the sound of explosions and the roars of Halictids, not unlike the German air raids. At least she wasn't hanging from a barrage balloon this time.

Mandahar entered the cockpit again, as Telfi and Kaasic stood and dragged the medium-sized crate full of the cordolaine devices toward the door. Iyezrin similarly pulled the case full of teleports and slung it over his shoulders. A moment later, Mandahar's voice came on the intercom:

"Brace yourselves, this is going to be rough!"

A second later the Halictid lurched, and then Rose heard the loud cracks of the aircraft's guns firing outside. A second later they heard the sound of another Halictid descending outside, then an explosion. Another, larger explosion sounded loudly, and Rose could hear distant gunfire, possibly from the city below.

"Is there a window in this thing?" Rose asked the others.

"By the cockpit," someone answered. Rose stood to cross the cabin, but she heard another explosion outside, and a second later something, probably the shock wave, rocked the Halictid, throwing her back into her seat. The closest person to the cockpit, Achfirin, stood and went to the window and grabbed hold of a bar running along the wall to keep his balance.

"Wow," was all he said as he looked out at the air raid and Mandahar re-entered the cabin.

"The pilot's started the descent," he said. "We need to be ready to jump out in two minutes."

"Everyone grab something when you stand!" Iyezrin warned as another lurch caused Mandahar to stumble forwards a few steps, and Rose stood to take hold of another rail running along the ceiling just above her head.

**BANG**.

In that fraction of a second, a deafening crash sounded just outside, followed by what Rose thought sounded like a tearing noise, and the whole ornithopter rocked forwards with a violent jerk. Something snapped just above Rose's head, sending a shower of sparks all over the cabin as the world around them was rent apart. Then something seemed to pick Rose up and throw her across the cabin like a rag doll, landing in a heap with the rest of the Dioscuri team near the cockpit.

As Rose scrambled back to her feet, she felt the Halictid start to make a sharp descent, causing the entire cabin to shake violently, which, in turn, caused Rose to fall again. Beside her, Delbadar pulled herself to her feet, using another rail.

"What's going on?" she yelled.

"Something hit us!" Mandahar called back. He too pulled himself up as the others tried in vain also to stand. "We're going down!"

The aircraft lurched again, and this time they could hear a ear-splitting scraping outside which in turn seemed to shake the Halictid so violently that it was impossible for anyone to do more than sit up. Then, as they shook again, Rose was thrown backwards again, and she felt a splitting pain in the back of her head before blacking out.

* * *

The distant sounds of explosions were still audible when Rose began to regain consciousness, but when she opened her eyes, she could only see darkness. She also thought she could smell smoke. Groaning she tried to sit up, and became conscious that she was lying against a tree.

"You all right?" asked a voice somewhere beside her, and Rose opened her eyes to see someone standing above her, holding a lantern.

"Yeah," she said, forcing herself to sit up, and rubbing her head. She could feel a large bump forming on the back of her head. "What happened?"

"We crashed." Rose now recognized the voice as Iyezrin's. "The Yaldegans must have detected us coming and sent some forces to defend the city. They managed to take out the main engines."

"Where are we then?" asked Rose. She now could see Iyezrin as he put the lantern down.

"We're about a fifteen minute flight outside of the city." Mandahar now appeared, followed closely by Delbadar, who also was carrying a lantern. Behind them, Rose could see some of the others bending over the box with the teleports. "Fairly decent distance, not too far from the safe house, I should think. We've just been checking all the equipment, and there's no damage that any of us can see, but maybe you'd better take a look at it."

"Did everyone get out all right?"

"All except the pilot," Delbadar said sadly. "We very nearly were killed too."

To illustrate this point, Delbadar pointed upwards, and Rose looked in that direction to see the burning Halictid caught in the branches of the Genthakl tree they were camped around.

"He managed to keep the Halictid airborne for quite a while, looking for someplace to land," she continued. "But eventually the backup engines died too and we crashed."

"How long have I been out?" asked Rose.

"About fifteen minutes," Iyezrin answered. "We only just got out of the wreck."

"We're going to have to vacate the area as soon as possible," Mandahar said. "If someone saw us crash, they'll be sending people to look for survivors."

At that moment, they heard a distant high-pitched call, drawing Mandahar's attention. He looked aside, listening hard, and Rose stilled and listened too. A moment later, they heard the call again.

"That's Crotar's agent," Mandahar said. "He's signaling for us; probably saw us go down too. We'd better follow it, it can't be far. Can you walk?" he added to Rose.

In response, she pushed herself up and slowly stood, but she felt somewhat light-headed, likely from hitting her head so hard. Iyezrin stood and caught her as she swayed, steadying her. Rose rubbed the back of her head again, and took a step forward, which caused her head to pound, but the dizziness seemed to subside. Taking this as an affirmative to his question, Mandahar turned to the others.

"Let's go," he hissed.

Two minutes later, the squad slowly made its way down a forest path, their only light coming from their lanterns. The only sounds apart from their footsteps was the wind rustling the leaves in the gigantic trees above them, and the distant explosions from Shanend. In the right direction, south of where their position, Rose thought she could see a distant orange glow, likely the city.

In the back, she could see Szaaza and Klari using leaves and dirt to cover their tracks, while Mandahar guided them in the front, raising his lantern to see a further distance. Occasionally he would pause and turn his lantern off, a clear indication for the others to do the same, and Rose supposed that this occurred when he thought he'd heard something; he then would turn his lantern back on, and they'd continue. Half an hour later, Mandahar hung his lantern on a branch and with startling agility climbed up one of the smaller trees growing along side the majestic Genthakls, and at the top of the tree, he made the same bird-like call they had heard earlier.

"What's he doing?" asked Delbadar.

"Letting the agent know we're coming," Iyezrin replied. Then he froze, his face turned in the direction of the city.

"Lanterns out!" he hissed, turning off his own. Rose reached up and switched off Mandahar's, and a moment later, they were plunged into complete darkness again. Then Rose heard it: the low hum of an approaching Halictid.

From the top of the tree, Mandahar suddenly hissed "Hide!"

A scrape, a rustling sound, and a thud told Rose that someone had dragged the small crate with the cordolaine devices into a bush, and she could hear the others scrambling around the forest floor in search of something under which they could take cover. Feeling around, Rose finally found a gap under a log just large enough for her.

The hum grew louder, and a moment later, she could see a beam of light shining through the trees, a search light. Rose couldn't see it, but judging by the sound, she would guess that it was a couple of hundred feet above them, shining its light through the caps in the Genthakls.

Fortunately, the Halictid simply passed over them and continued on its way. After a moment, when the sound of its engines began to fade, Mandahar leapt from the tree and lit his lantern.

"Looking for the crashed Halictid," he surmised. "Hopefully when they find it they'll assume that the pilot was the only one in it."

The rest of them stepped out from their hiding places, and as soon as they were back on the path, an answering call met their ears, now much closer than when they last heard it. Mandahar paused, trying to discern the direction from which the sound had come, and after a moment, he beckoned to the others to follow him.

"This way," he hissed.

A few minutes later, the path led them into a large gap in the forest, filled only with bushes and smaller trees, but completely devoid of Genthakls for at least half a mile. The clearing was lit only by the moon Gealach, which was at half-moon phase. Then Rose saw the light from Mandahar's lantern fall upon a shadowy figure standing on the path, waiting for them.

Dressed in a simple tunic, the Radalan woman stepped forward, tilting her head to scrutinize Mandahar and the others for a moment, before asking, "You are Mandahar?"

He nodded.

She looked past him and catching sight of Rose, she nodded.

"I am Satra," she said. "Crotar sent me to meet you here. I hope your arrival went smoothly."

Mandahar shook his head. "We were shot down. Not exactly how we planned it, but I suppose it got us here."

"Was anyone hurt?" asked Satra, sounding concerned.

"The pilot was killed, but the rest of us were relatively unharmed," Mandahar reported. "Where to first, then?"

"There's a safe house about a half-hour's walk from here, where we'll be staying the night," Satra told him. "Tomorrow morning we'll get up early and make our way towards the safe house near Shathar. If we move at a good speed, we should arrive there noon."

"Very good," Mandahar said. "Lead the way then."

The walk only took another five minutes, in which Satra led them across the clearing to the edge of the forest, leading them within a short distance before raising her own lantern to show a cabin hidden in the shadow of a Genthakl. Satra stepped forward and opened the door, and in the next second, lights flashed on within the cabin and they heard the clicks of several guns. Satra raised her hands into the air and said something they couldn't hear, but a second later, she turned and said, "It's all right. Come on in."

The others slowly filed into the cabin, entering into a front room completely void of furniture, but with a small generator-powered heater set up in a corner. There were three other agents in the room, two surly men not unlike some of Mandahar's team, who entered the opposite room as the others entered, and in another corner stood a thinner man who watched them enter without saying a word.

When Rose entered, however, the man stepped forward and took Rose by the shoulder, staring into her face with an expression of immense interest.

"You are Rose Tyler?" he asked.

"I don't know who else I could be," Rose said quietly. "I take it you are Crotar."

Crotar nodded. "I'm glad you all arrived in one piece, anyway."

With those words he released her and looked at the others.

"We're staying here tonight," he told them. "We will get you up at sunrise, and make our way toward the checkpoint near Shathar."

"How far from the prison is it?" asked Iyezrin.

"The safe house is at the foot of a hill not a ten minute walk from the prison," Crotar answered. "You can see Shathar from the hilltop."

As he spoke, the two unnamed agents re-entered the room, each with a rolled mat or blanket under their arms. These they passed to the others, until the room was filled with makeshift beds.

"Rose," Crotar called, as he moved toward the door in the second room. "In here, if you please. You too, Mandahar."

The second room was smaller than the first, and contained a table with a few chairs. Rose and Mandahar took seats around the table. A map of the Shanend coast lay in the center of the table, and Rose saw between the two cities Sanandrias and Shanend, Crotar had marked the Shathar prison, which formed an almost perfect triangle with the two cities.

"Where are we, exactly?" asked Rose.

Crotar pointed at a point on the map, an obtuse angle between Shathar and Shanend outside the triangle.

"We're going to approach Shathar from a point which will keep us as far from Sanandrias as possible," Crotar told them. "The area between Sanandrias and the prison is heavily guarded, and it is almost impossible to approach the prison from that angle undetected."

"What is this house?" asked Mandahar in curiosity.

"It used to belong to a Gebrel root farmer, who the Sestati executed about a year ago," Crotar said indifferently. "They simply left the house abandoned. It's quite out of the way, so it makes a good hiding place. Now"—Crotar took his seat too, looking at the others with a serious expression—"I have just received a report that our air raids on the Shanend coast has worried Davinathe, and he plans to have everything in the Sanandrias lab dismantled and relocated to a lab in Yaldego. Once the Etalih Innai device, whatever it is, is dismantled and removed, the Doctor and Donna Noble are sure to be relocated as well."

"How soon have we got?" asked Rose in alarm.

"We must have them out of prison within a day or two," Crotar told her. "When we arrive tomorrow at noon, I am going to go inside with my two assistants and plant those devices you made, and assess when it is safest to make a move."

Pulling a second map from under the first, a blueprint of the prison, Crotar pointed at faint paths leading into the prison. "Shathar used to be a factory," he informed them, "and there were over a dozen cooling shafts running under it. Most of them were destroyed when the factory was torn down and the prison built, but this one,"—he pointed at a highlighted tunnel which ran directly underneath a circular building—"is still in tact. I'll need several volunteers to enter the facility with me, disguised as new recruits to guard the facility. Rose, you, Mandahar and several others will enter through that tunnel."

"So how are we getting the two prisoners out?" asked Mandahar.

"My team will attempt to get them into the cooling tunnel undetected," Crotar said. "The tunnel ends at a vent under the Tower." He pointed at the circular building. "I'm not sure, but I think that the alien prisoners are held in this building here, directly across from the Tower."

"Why not have your men teleport them out directly from their cells?" asked Mandahar.

Crotar shook his head. "Can't. The prison security searches everyone who goes in and out, including the guards. If Relash got hold of Valdaran teleports, I have no doubt that the Sestati would recognize them. The teleport would be confiscated and you arrested in a split second, and that, of course, would blow our cover."

"So how is this going to work if we can't take the teleports into the prison?" asked Rose.

"We can't take the teleports to the prisoners, so we'll have to get the prisoners to the teleports," Crotar said simply.

"That courtyard is sure to be heavily guarded," Mandahar observed, looking at the map. At Crotar's confirming nod, he glared at him. "You're telling me that we have to somehow get both prisoners from their cells to the cooling shaft unobserved? That's next to impossible."

"True," Crotar admitted, "except that every evening a Sestati official comes to conduct an inspection, first of the prisoners, then of the guards. With the guards at the front of the camp, the courtyard will be less watched." Pausing thoughtfully for a moment, he slowly added, "Tomorrow evening would be the best time to make our move, because that bastard Yadathrin will be the one in charge of the inspection. It's quite probable that all the guards in the camp will be at the gate to greet him. Now listen very carefully, because this is what we've agreed to do."

And he explained over the course of the next ten minutes. Rose and Mandahar listened carefully, taking in every detail and every different role the squad had to play in the breakout. Finally, when Crotar finished talking, Mandahar said slowly, "I hope we can trust your judgment in this, because we only have one shot at this. It had better work."

* * *

Rose woke up early the next morning, before the others did, to the dim twilight that prepared the world for sunrise. A blue-gray mist seemed to have settled in the hut, which appeared to have been built under a root of a Genthakl tree, and therefore was well-hidden. The hut was cold, but the duvets, which Crotar had given them, trapped enough heat to make the night bearable.

But as Rose stirred, she became newly aware of the cold surrounding her; perhaps that was what woke her. Looking around, she saw that the others bore it well, but of course, they all had a coat of feathers, which gave them extra warmth. As she curled up under the cover, shivering, Rose wondered what quirk of evolution caused thick human hair to grow only on the head.

A sound from outside met her ears, what she thought were heavy, trotting footsteps, then she heard something snuffling in a brush outside. Probably a wild Salesat, she thought vaguely as she heard the animal start scraping its horns on a tree or on the Genthakl root. She shivered again, wishing she'd fall asleep, or wishing the others would wake up so they could continue on their way. She'd get her blood moving on top of continuing toward the Doctor's possible salvation. She only hoped they weren't too late.

Someone grunted, and Rose looked out from under her cover and saw Satra sit up and stretch her arms and wings out a bit, before standing and crossing the room to the window, looking out at the early dawn.

"How are you going to get _me_ there without being seen?" Rose asked.

Satra jumped. "You're awake?" she asked.

"Have been for a while." Rose sat up, yawning.

Satra looked outside again. "We've got a farmer's land vehicle outside, designed for cargo," she told Rose. "Originally it was for transporting any equipment you may have brought, and I don't think any of your team want to carry that crate everywhere." Satra nodded at the others, who still appeared to be sleeping. "We'll simply keep you inside the vehicle with the crate, not that we consider you to be cargo," she added with a laugh. "While you're in there, you could check over the teleports and those other things you brought, check for any damage done when your Halictid crashed."

"I feel like I shouldn't have come," Rose said quietly. "The others all have reservations about it. I stick out like a sore thumb on this planet, and would definitely be noticed."

"If the Edrens hadn't stopped allowing tourists to Cypnov, you could probably pass for one," Satra said. "But since few Edrens ever come here anymore, that probably wouldn't work." She paused thoughtfully for a moment, and added, "The vehicle is fairly small, and isn't likely to be seen in the middle of an uninhabited Genthakl forest. Besides, it's fortunately quite foggy today. We should be covered."

At that moment Crotar appeared from the other room. "You're awake then?" he asked Satra, who nodded, and pointed at Rose to show her to be awake too. Crotar nodded, then shouted, "Everyone up! It's time to leave!"

A loud groan answered this call. In response, Crotar aimed a kick at Szaazra, who seemed to be the source of the groan. The other agent leapt out from under his divan with a yelp, and shot a glare at Crotar, who said brusquely, "You are not in school, sunshine. You do not get five more minutes."

The others took this as a hint and slowly started getting up, except for Mandahar and Iyezrin, who had leapt up as soon as Crotar made the wakeup call.

"Do we get any breakfast?" asked Delbadar, who was massaging her stomach.

Satra snorted. "You're surrounded by Genthakl trees. Just fly up to the canopy and get some fruit if you're hungry."

"Doesn't help me," Rose muttered, but nobody heard her.

"Right," Crotar said loudly, "we've got a long excursion ahead of us, which will take several hours. If a Halictid or any other vehicle or person is detected nearby, all of you are to split up and possibly take cover. You will start the flight first, in fifteen minutes." Crotar glanced at Rose. "Mandahar, Satra, and Rose will remain here for another half-hour before departure. If you three would follow me into the back room, I'll explain your role in this." Looking at the others, he called out, "The rest of you, get ready to leave immediately. I want you all out of here in fifteen minutes sharp."

With that, he turned and led Rose and the other two agents into the back room. When they entered, Crotar shut the door behind him, and turned to Mandahar. "I have already explained this to Satra, but I'm not sure if you've heard about it yourself. You and Satra will take the land crawler, where Miss Tyler will hide along with the crate. With any luck, you'll look like a couple of orchardists simply moving tools and produce across the forest floor."

Rose noticed for the first time that Satra was wearing a simple brown tunic, and she also waved a similar tunic in front of Mandahar's nose, who took it reluctantly.

* * *

When the Doctor arrived at the lab that morning, he was grateful to find Saran's successor Achatzin waiting for him rather than a Sestati thug like earlier, but his relief at the possibility of having at least a tolerable day was short-lived; because the moment he actually entered the vault, he found Colonel Yadathrin personally overseeing operations.

The moment the Doctor entered, Yadathrin stepped in front of him. "You have a different task today, Doctor," he said coolly.

The Doctor sighed. "What is it now?"

"Dismantle it."

The Doctor stared. _Surely I heard wrong_, he thought, but a glance behind Yadathrin told him that indeed, Yadathrin intended to dismantle the Etalih Innai satellite. The technicians were loosening bolts and restacking the crystal sheets in their original boxes. Even as the Doctor watched, he saw a scientist heave one of the electromagnetic coils into a crate.

"Sorry?" he asked.

"You heard me," Yadathrin snapped. "Now get to it."

The Sestati colonel then brushed past the Doctor and Achatzin and began barking out orders to a quaking technician near the door. The Doctor continued to gape at Yadathrin, his mind racing, until Achatzin nudged him and led him to the machine, handing him a Cypnovan spanner as he did.

What was going on? It was too much to hope for that Davinathe had given up on the project, but why would they suddenly decide to dismantle the device now? It was possible that they wished to move it, but this made even less sense. With or without the Doctor's sabotage, the satellite was not ready to be launched or even tested, and he said so to Achatzin who shrugged.

"Undoubtedly you heard about the air raid against Shanend last night?" he said.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I _heard_ the raid."

"No doubt," Achatzin inferred. "No doubt. I think that Davinathe is afraid that Sanandrias is next."

"But this place has sounder structure and better security than the average bomb shelter!"

"It won't if the Relashians start to invade," Achatzin pointed out. "In light of that possibility, all further operations on the Etalih Innai project are to be undertaken in Yaldego. The pieces are going to Greyalden today."

Back to where the Doctor, Rose, and Donna first arrived; and undoubtedly the Doctor would be relocated with the device. He wondered if there was any chance that he and Donna could escape and find the Tardis, but as the Doctor reflected on it, he was forced to admit that this was a fantastical idea, devoid of reality. He didn't know where the Tardis was, and even if he did, he doubted that he and Donna would get far, not with the Sestati's security and Donna's condition.

"And what will happen to me?" he asked.

"You will not return to prison after we're done here," Achatzin informed him. "Instead you'll be taken to a Halictid, and Captain Sarjeth will accompany you back to Yaldego tonight. Your friend Miss Noble will also leave from Shathar shortly after your departure. Yadathrin will pick her up after the inspection."

* * *

The trip to the safe house near Shathar was paralyzingly dull, boring, and tedious.

At least it was in Rose's point of view. Satra had been perfectly correct in her belief that the fog would provide a good cover for the trip. Nobody appeared to have even been out. Occasionally they heard a Halictid pass overhead, but they couldn't even see the tree tops in the mist. There was absolutely no way that anyone passing above them would have seen them.

During the trip, Rose busied herself with sitting among the baskets of highly poisonous Genthakl figs and cutting tools, messing around inside the open crate and carefully checking each cordolaine transmitter and each teleport for damage. But everything appeared to have been unharmed in the crash; it all was in perfect condition, in fact. This done, Rose put the lid back on the crate and returned the teleports to their case, before settling back among the fruit baskets with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. In the front, Satra and Mandahar carefully drove the rover through the forest, following a Cypnovan version of GPS and occasionally checking around for possible intruders; but there were none.

After several hours of this excruciating boredom, Mandahar finally stopped the rover, and got out of his seat. Looking around for a moment, he finally motioned for Rose to get out and follow him and Satra, who had already started off down a cloudy path, which eventually led to an even smaller house from the one they had stayed at during the night.

Crotar and the others were already there; and the moment Rose and the two agents walked through the door, Crotar, relieved that their trip had gone without incident, took Rose and Mandahar and led them back outside.

"Where are you taking us?" asked Rose, but Crotar didn't answer; he simply proceeded up an ascending path, which wound in a meandering motion up a steep, muddy hill. Rose soon found herself weary of the upward trek which was made doubly difficult by the mud, but eventually they came to a point when the fog began to thin; and when they reached the top, they found themselves with clear air and a clear, sunlit day; they could barely see the world below, however, because of the fog.

"Come here," Crotar said to her, motioning for her to stand beside him; she did so, and he pointed. Then she saw it; a tower rose out of the fog in the distance, its top just visible.

"That's the prison tower," Crotar told her. "Your friends are being held in a building close to it."

Rose stared at the place (or what little she could see of it), and suddenly a new determination swept over her. After weeks of waiting for information, weeks of feeling useless and after every hour spent in terror for the Doctor and Donna, this was it. They were close, not a mile away.

"We'll get them out," she said quietly. "I'm certain that we'll get them out."

* * *

The cooling tunnel was as cold as its name, but though they could hear the activities in the prison above on occasion (the screams of pain were uncomfortable, but after a while she learned to ignore them), Rose and the others appeared to be well-hidden.

It was early afternoon, which meant that Crotar and his team would have entered the prison by now, and possibly were at the moment passing through security. A couple of days before the Dioscuri team's arrival, apparently Satra had made Ixtredir, Ruelen, Achfirin, and Szaazra false identities, forging them IDs and hacking into the Sestati's database, she also gave them records. These four were hand-picked for this job because of their experience, and because their sizes matched Sestati standards, and now were to under the prison under Crotar's guidance, posing as new recruits.

The tunnel entrance was located under a knoll about half an hour's walk from the safehouse, which apparently one of Crotar's men had located some time earlier after he sneaked into the vent under the tower. Not too long after arrival at the safehouse, once he and Rose returned from the hilltop, Crotar spent half an hour giving the Dioscuri team careful instructions and differing roles in the procedure, before allowing Satra to lead Rose, Mandahar, Iyezrin, Delbadar and several others to the tunnel entrance.

Now they all sat huddled under the vent, where dim light filtered into the cold, dark passage, waiting for Crotar and his men to appear at the Tower base. Rose glanced at her watch again, and then turned to see Delbadar and the others passing the separate cordolaine transmitters from the crate and down the line. Iyezrin passed the first to Rose, who then passed it to Mandahar, who now sat at the vent, standing and glancing out on occasion for any sign of Crotar.

Finally, after a while, Crotar's voice came in through the vent, a loud, staged voice in which he showed the "new recruits" the details of the camp.

"The Tower is where all the prison authorities' offices are located," Crotar informed them, "and also where the interrogation rooms are. You are only to enter the Tower when sent for. If you need to pass a message to an officer, send it through me or any other captain."

A pair of feet appeared at the vent as Crotar spoke, and Mandahar stood. Crotar kicked back lightly and tapped the vent; in response, Mandahar gestured at Iyezrin and the two of them slowly pulled the vent out of the entrance. It was an excruciating process in which they froze after every squeak and groan the frame made. But finally it came loose, and Mandahar sent the others a wave, passing the first cordolaine transmitter into Crotar's waiting hands.

For the next ten minutes, in which they could hear Crotar going on and on about the Tower rules, the others hidden in the tunnel passed the cordolaine devices out. There were ten in total, so Rose supposed that the five outside each hid one on their person. Achfirin took the last transmitter, Mandahar and Iyezrin carefully started to wedge the vent back in place. A moment later, Crotar moved away, and Iyezrin opened up the case full of teleports. He passed them out to everyone, giving two to Rose and two to Mandahar; there was naught left but to wait for Crotar's signal that the inspection had started. That was when the Doctor and Donna were due to make their escape.

Meanwhile, outside the tunnel Crotar and the others walked back across the courtyard and about halfway across they went their separate ways, each having been assigned specific points along the fortress wall where they were supposed to place the transmitters. Crotar himself took flight and fluttered to the walkway built along the top of the wall, where the guards sometimes patrolled to watch the entire inside.

The entire prison facility was as foggy as the forest had been, so the rampart afforded no great view for more than twenty paces, so that Crotar, while he assumed Szaazra to have gone to the opposite wall, could not see any activity there. It appeared that the weather was on their side at least.

The rampart was mostly deserted, except for the occasional patrolman; but they merely saluted Crotar as he passed, seeing only a superior officer. The prison watchtowers, of course, were also occupied, but though Crotar doubted that they'd have a better view of him, they had planned to plant each transmitter as distant from those watch towers as possible.

After a moment, Crotar reached the first checkpoint, a small steel fencepost on the walkway where he would attach the magnetic transmitter near the base; it was barely visible from the ground below, even on a sunny day, and for someone passing by on the rampart, it was completely invisible. Crotar slowly pulled the palm-sized device from the pocket of his tunic, and setting it down on the metal banister, he carefully prised off the lid, revealing a couple of small couplings to the wiring, along with a couple of switches, deactivated. Glancing around to make sure no one was around, Crotar reattached the couplings, then flipped the first switch, the receptor. He then picked the transmitter up and turned on the second switch, which activated the magnetic clamp. That done, he reattached the lid, then he bent down and got on his knees. As he reached around the steel post, his hands shaking slightly, he felt the transmitter snap onto the metal.

Quickly Crotar stood and glanced around again, even chancing a glance at the watchtower about fifteen paces away, but he didn't think that the watchmen could have seen him in this fog. So he slowly moved on, proceeding toward the second point, an identical post about twenty paces away from the first, and stopped to repeat the procedure.

"Captain Phias!"

Crotar straightened and quickly returned the transmitter to his pocket, before turning to face another Sestati captain who approached him quickly.

"Seret," he greeted coolly.

Captain Seret nodded. "Where were you yesterday?" he demanded. "You weren't on duty when Lieutenant Croran conducted yesterdays inspection!"

"I was ill," Crotar said. "I told my superior as much."

Seret scowled. "You're normally more correct than that, Phias," he snapped.

"Meaning what?" demanded Crotar, exasperated.

Seret snorted. "I know what you are, Phias," he said. "You're weak. You're too sympathetic. Don't think I haven't noticed how much attention you pay to the alien prisoners, even when there's nothing more to get from them. You pity them too much."

Crotar shrugged. "So I'm fascinated by a unique alien life form," he said. "I don't see how it matters."

"No," Seret said. "I don't suppose it does, since they're leaving tonight."

Crotar blinked. "They're what?"

"After the inspection tonight, Yadathrin's going to take the orange-headed female back to Yaldego," Seret informed him.

Crotar inwardly sighed in relief. "What about the male?"

"The Doctor is leaving directly from Sanandrias tonight." Seret tapped his fingers on the post. "So we won't be seeing him here anymore."

With that, Seret walked past Crotar, pausing only to remind him to be present for Yadathrin's inspection in two hours, and leaving Crotar in no happy spirits.

The latter watched him go, feeling something he hadn't felt in a long time, something that bordered close to panic, because for the first time in many years, he had failed a mission. They could still rescue Donna Noble, but she was not the one Crotar had mainly been sent for. This mission's intent was to halt progress on Etalih Innai by getting two alien prisoners out of Yaldego's grasp; all they could hope for now was to lessen Yaldego's leverage against the Doctor, but Crotar knew the Sestati too well. In all probability, Yadathrin and Davinathe would give no hint to the Doctor that Donna was out of danger, leaving the poor Time Lord believing her to still be at the Sestati's mercy. Either that or they'd find a suitable replacement for Miss Noble.

That moment was dreadful for the Relashian agent; but as he stood there on the rampart for what seemed like an eternity, he finally made a decision.

* * *

On the opposite side of the camp half an hour later, Ruelen likewise attached the couplings in the second of his transmitters, looking up occasionally as he did, and less comforted by the fog than the more experienced Crotar. But as Ruelen put the transmitter in place, he heard someone say, "What in the world are you doing?"

Quickly Ruelen stood up, pretending to dust himself off, then massaging his back as the guard approached him, looking suspicious.

"I tripped," Ruelen said casually.

The guard's eyes narrowed. "You call bending down on your knees a fall?"

"I wasn't on my knees," Ruelen said innocently, "though it might have appeared otherwise with this mist."

Thankfully the guard didn't appear to be exceptionally bright. He did, however, tilt his head, scrutinizing Ruelen, before saying "I haven't seen you around here before."

"I was just barely hired."

The guard snorted. "Won't be long before they start replacing some of us older guards again, will it?"

Ruelen didn't reply, but the guard simply pushed past him, muttering about disrespectful superiors and upstart rookies.

Ruelen, meanwhile backtracked down the rampart and when the guards' barracks came into view, he leapt lightly off the walkway and fluttered down back into the prison, and made his way between the south gaol and the Tower, close to the tunnel where Rose and Mandahar hid, and slowly slid the heavy wooden door open to enter the barracks.

The first room Ruelen entered was the canteen, the guards' cafeteria. It being mid-afternoon now, the canteen wasn't as full as it would have been earlier in the day, but several guards sat at a table near the entrance, who took no notice of him, and looking around, he caught sight of Szaazra and Ixtredir seated together in a corner.

"You should sit somewhere else," Szaazra muttered. "If one of us is caught, and we were seen together repeatedly, all of use would be suspect."

Ruelen nodded, but remained where he was. "You two finished then?"

"Of course," Ixtredir said, studying his talon-like nails. "I haven't seen Achfirin here yet, though, and Crotar may not appear for some time."

Szaazra leaned his head back. "My job went without incident," he said, "but it felt like I spent the whole time looking over my shoulder. I'll be glad when this is over."

"I think anyone would feel like that, after going through security upon entry," Ixtredir observed, shuddering. The others understood perfectly: getting into the fortress was excruciatingly humiliating. The guards at the front examined every detail of their cards several times before allow them through the first barrier, beyond which two others were waiting to search them. Achfirin had even been stripped naked for no discernable reason. It wasn't any wonder that Crotar had ruled out _their _entering the prison already in possession of the cordolaine transmitters and the teleports. The equipment would have been uncovered and confiscated immediately.

When explaining the procedures of the coming inspection, Crotar had assured them that this would not happen again as Yadathrin examined the guards, but they still couldn't carry the teleports. Instead, they would have to acquire the unique Valdaran devices later, after the rescue had been accomplished.

A few minutes after Ruelen entered the canteen, Achfirin also arrived. Unlike Ruelen, he decided not to join the others at their corner, instead sitting alone at a nearby table. He did, however, give them a pointed look, which told them that his transmitters were in place.

After that they simply waited. Nobody said a word, but simply looked off into space, or else around the room. Ruelen had no idea how long they stayed there, except that it had seemed to darken greatly when Crotar finally walked in about an hour before the inspection. Like Achfirin, Crotar chose to take his seat at a different table from the others, where he reached into his sack and took out a small meal he'd earlier prepared for himself. As he ate, Crotar looked up and gave Ruelen's party a small, barely discernable nod.

As one, they stood and made for the exit, the next phase of their task at hand: to locate the prisoners.

When they did exit the building, they saw something that made their hearts sink, a condition that had changed.

The fog had cleared.

* * *

The announcement came on the intercom for the whole of Shathar to hear, and Donna groaned as she lay her head back on the mattress. Of course; the daily inspection. Every evening in which some Sestati official would enter her cell, accompanied by two thugs, he would watch her for a moment before moving to the next cell in theory, but Donna's distinct alienness to the guards caused the official to linger in her cell for a longer period than with any other prisoner. The Doctor usually didn't have to go through it, because he was in the Sanandrias lab every evening.

This evening was different, however. First off, a guard came into her cell unaccompanied, one who gave her a plate of food earlier than normal, and when Donna watched him suspiciously, he hissed, "Hold of a little longer. You'll receive further instructions as soon as Yadathrin's finished in here."

"_He's_ here?" Donna groaned. The last time she had seen Yadathrin, of course, he had ordered his thugs to zap her with a cattle prod.

The guard nodded. "Word of advice, Donna," he hissed, "say nothing at all. Simply bear what Yadathrin says or does until he finishes."

Donna stared; something was off. The guards never spoke to her at all, except to bark out orders. But this one lent Donna advice, and even called her by name. What was this about? But before she could ask the strange guard anything else, he left the cell and quietly closed the door again.

Donna watched the door for a full five minutes, absentmindedly chewing on some of the food as she did, still in deep confusion, until she heard a distant slam, and the sound of footsteps down the hall, and knew that Yadathrin would be in her cell any second. She looked away from the door and pushed the food away, reflecting that Yadathrin probably had chosen to inspect her first.

A second later, the door swung open with a loud slam, and indeed, the all-too familiar cold face of Yadathrin appeared in the door, accompanied by two thugs, who stood at the open door as Yadathrin looked Donna up and down.

"Well settled, I trust?" Yadathrin asked.

Donna didn't answer.

"Well don't get too comfortable," the colonel told her coolly. "Someone will come by after the guards' inspection. Tonight you will come with me to Sanandrias, where a Halictid will take you and the Doctor back to Yaldego."

"What for?" Donna asked in surprise, but Yadathrin turned around and nodded at the two guards, who left the room, and he followed them and slammed the door shut without another word.

* * *

Crotar looked at his watch. "Yadathrin should start the guards' inspection in about half an hour," he muttered to Achfirin, before noticing that he looked nervous.

"I have a very strong feeling that this is going to go completely wrong," Ixtredir muttered.

Crotar said nothing. He hadn't told anyone on the squad yet what he'd learned, that they'd already half-failed. There was still a chance of breaking Miss Noble out, but the Doctor was already beyond their reach. Crotar wouldn't have been surprised if the Doctor was already on his way to Yaldego. If only they'd had another day!

But he wouldn't abandon the mission now, not when everyone already was in position to act, and still one prisoner to save. The cordolaine transmitters were in place, all around the walls of the camp; all they needed was for Rose to activate them from her position in the cooling tunnel.

"Has Ruelen delivered his message to Miss Noble yet?" Crotar whispered, and Achfirin nodded. "The first one, yes. He'll deliver the second before Yadathrin begins the guards' inspection."

Crotar nodded.

"I can't find out that anyone has found or spoken to the Doctor," Achfirin added, looking extremely worried.

There was no hiding it now. "That's because he's not in the prison," Crotar admitted.

"Not here?" repeated Achfirin. "Then where is he?"

"Sanandrias. He's not coming back."

Achfirin inhaled slowly. "We were too late, weren't we?" he groaned.

"Don't tell anyone yet," Crotar hissed. "And we may yet succeed with Miss Noble."

"By anyone, you mean not to tell Rose, don't you?" Achfirin asked.

"It might disrupt the mission," Crotar said.

"When will you tell her?"

"When she's safely back in Relash." Crotar looked at his watch again. "Should we fail, _her_ protection matters above all else."

Achfirin nodded. "I hope you're right about Miss Noble," he said. "Perhaps she knows something about Etalih Innai. We haven't completely failed yet."

* * *

Fifteen minutes after Yadathrin quitted her cell, Donna heard the door open again, and glancing up, she saw the guard return. He stooped down over her half-empty tray, and Donna waited patiently for him to explain his earlier actions. She was not disappointed.

The guard glanced up at Donna as he cleared up her dishes, and hissed, "My name is Ruelen, Miss Noble, and I am not really member of the Sestati."

"What does that mean?" asked Donna.

"Shh!" Ruelen hissed, pressing a finger on his lips. He glanced around for a moment, before whispering, "I'm going to leave the door unlocked. In ten minutes, Yadathrin will begin the routine inspection for the guards, so the halls and courtyard should be mostly deserted. At the base of the tower there's a vent, which is the entrance to a tunnel. You need to get in it."

"Why are you doing this?" whispered Donna.

Ruelen glanced around again. "Because Rose Tyler is in that tunnel waiting for you," he whispered.

"I knew it! I knew she'd get us out!" Donna whispered excitedly, but Ruelen suddenly struck her, not hard, but hard enough to stun her. "What was that for?" she demanded angrily.

Ruelen stood. "They might still be watching this cell," he said, looking extremely regretful. "I have to maintain the pretence of being a Sestati guard or they'll get suspicious. Sorry about that."

He then turned and started to take the dinner tray out of the cell. Before he shut the door, he looked back at her.

"Ten minutes," he reminded her, then closed the door.

Having no means of keeping track of time, Donna couldn't think how she'd know for sure when she ought to bolt; but on the other hand, it was all she could do to stop from pacing her cell in excitement. It had felt like an eternity since Donna had seen the outside world, and now she would finally be getting out. The Doctor had doubted it, but Donna felt rather pleased with herself that the entire time she'd been certain that Rose would have somehow heard about their arrest, and would actively be working to free them.

Donna grinned widely at this thought. It seemed Rose had been busy in her absence; it wasn't just the anticipation of breathing free air again, however, but the anticipation of seeing her friend again, alive and whole. It was somewhat more than could be said about _her,_ Donna thought grimly, then her face fell.

Donna's bones still hadn't healed. They didn't cause her nearly as much pain as they had when the Sestati had snapped them, but Donna wondered how long she'd be able to run or even walk with a broken rib. It certainly hindered her breathing, at any rate.

Somewhere in the distance, Donna heard the telltale whistle which signaled the guards' inspection, and she knew it was time; so she strode to the door, and slowly pushed it open. True to his word, Ruelen had left it unlocked.

The door thankfully appeared to have well-oiled hinges. It swung open soundlessly, and Donna crept outside, glancing up and down the halls nervously, but it was deserted. So she slowly made her way towards the staircase at the end of the hallway, through which they had taken her when they relocated her to her current cell.

In those few moments, when Donna crept past the other cells in the facility alone, she had felt more nervous than she ever had in her life before. She was sure that one of the Sestati guards would suddenly jump out at her at any moment, or come up the stairs, but nobody did. Pausing at a junction where the hall broke off into another, Donna slowly looked around the corner.

"Follow me," a voice said, and she jumped. On the other side of that corner, Ruelen stood patiently, waiting for her.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the inspection?" Donna asked.

"I'm not a Sestati guard," Ruelen reminded her. "Should I be at the inspection?"

Donna thought about this for a moment, before shaking her head as Ruelen took hold of her arm and led her down the hall.

"The place is deserted," he said. "I've already checked, but I'm not sure about the courtyard. We might have to run."

Donna sighed at this inevitability. Already she was short of breath, as the spy all but dragged her down the staircase, and she felt like someone had driven a large splinter into her side.

"Please slow down," she hissed, and Ruelen paused. "My ribs are broken."

He nodded. "My apologies."

From that point on, they went more slowly. It turned out that Ruelen had been perfectly correct in saying that the place was deserted. They didn't see anyone as they came to the foot of the stairs, or anything except the locked doors of other cells. The whole time Donna was keenly aware of every step they took (and not only because she could feel it in her ribs), and ever second seemed to take an eternity.

When she at last began to smell fresh air, Ruelen paused at the exit, and peered outside at the now completely clear and brightly-lit courtyard. He analyzed the area for a long time, checking every detail for any stray guard who, for whatever reason, was not at the inspection. Finally he hissed, "Clear. Let's go."

Unfortunately from the door it was impossible to see Captain Seret still patrolling the rampart.

They hadn't gone five paces into the courtyard before a voice shouted "Stop!"

Ruelen flung Donna before him. "Run!" he shouted.

Donna didn't need telling twice. This was what she had been dreading, but when she saw the guard leap off the rampart and fly at then, she forgot the pain in her side, and broke off toward the tower.

"Halt!" Seret shouted, but Donna ignored him. She couldn't see what was going on behind her, but she thought she heard Ruelen stop running, perhaps trying to hold back the captain. Then Seret began screaming "Alarm! Alarm!" and Donna heard the distinctive pops of a gun.

Then all hell broke loose.

The prison alarm blared out suddenly, and Donna looked up and saw guards jump out from the watchtowers, flying toward her from every direction, including the one in which she was headed.

Before Donna could think what to do next, however, someone grabbed her from behind and jerked her backwards. A second later something very hard and heavy struck her between her shoulder blades, knocking the wind out of her, and then one of the guards landed in front of her and whirled around, his heavy tail whacking her in the stomach, causing her to double over in agony.

Then the blows came. Donna bent down and shielded her head in her arms, but without any control over her breathing she could hardly move. Fists and feet rained down upon her back and side like rocks, doubling, tripling the agony in her ribs. Every blow hurt like hell, but each time the guards kicked her in her already broken ribs or her half-healed fractured arms, the pain seemed to spread throughout her body, enveloping her, consuming her, so intense that she no longer knew where or even who she was.

* * *

The violence in the prison courtyard went not unnoticed by the rest of the Dioscuri team, including those who watched from the now open cooling shaft to which Donna had attempted to run. At the lead, their alien colleague watched with growing horror at the bad turn of the events, when the Sestati captain began shouting at Ruelen to halt. Rose saw Donna and her liberator run, but in the next second, several guards, out of nowhere from their viewpoint. Then the gunshots rang out.

"Shit!" Rose snarled as she pulled the control pad from her pocket, turning on the cordolaine devices she hoped Crotar's team had planted correctly. But there was no time to see if they had worked or not; the shots had stopped, but Ruelen lay dead in the center of the courtyard, and Rose could see the guards converging upon Donna. Instinctively Rose crawled out through the open vent, hearing Delbadar and Mandahar squirm out behind her, but Rose paid them no attention.

As she saw the guards grab Donna and begin kicking and beating her, their truncheons raining down upon her, as Rose heard Donna's agonized cries, a red haze seemed to fill Rose's vision. She had seen them do this before, but this time it was her friend they were doing it to. Something snapped inside Rose, and she clenched her prosthetic fist tightly, standing tall but obscured in the shadows, and trembling with a reckless rage.

Beside her, both Delbadar and Mandahar raised their laser rifles and switched them to their high setting, taking careful aim, but also hesitant, because of the possibility that they might hit Donna. Rose had no such fears.

"Take them out," she snarled.

Mandahar looked at Rose in surprise, then his surprise turned to amazement at what he saw next to him, amazement that bordered on alarm. Rose Tyler's rage seemed to transform her before his eyes into something new, something truly alien and unknown. Though they stood in the shadows, Rose almost glowed a fiery, terrifying aura, of such strength that Mandahar thought that he could feel the energy radiating from her, such that it almost rushed around them like a whirlwind, rippling their clothes. There was no other way to describe it: it was raw power, ancient wrath that he saw.

In awe, almost in fear, Mandahar turned away and took careful aim at the guards just as a livid Yadathrin appeared in the courtyard. He could still feel Rose's anger rustling past him, and as he prepared to fire, he whispered, "What are you?" to an ancient who was too angry to hear him.

In the courtyard this went unnoticed. Donna now had no breath to scream, but the blows from the feet and clubs of the guards still fell upon her, and she could only cover her head with her hands. Then when she felt herself begin to lose consciousness, she thought she saw two sudden bursts of light, and a lethal sizzling sound. Then suddenly the beating stopped, and Donna looked up to see two guards lying on the ground beside her, one with a black, smoking hole in the back of his head, the other with an identical hole between his eyes. They were quite dead.

The guards leapt up as Yadathrin stopped dead, all looking around for the source of the blasts, raising their guns and pointing in every direction. Yadathrin too drew a pistol, but as Donna caught sight of him, she saw his gaze fixed on a point near the tower, his face an expression of deep astonishment. Seeing this, Donna followed his gaze to the shadowy area where Ruelen had told her to look for the vent.

Then _she_ emerged from the shadows.

Alien, ancient, Helial-like and Time Lord-like and yet not, the visitor taken from Yaldego, the human being who's life the Helials had warped, she now calmly walked towards the center of the courtyard, dressed in grayish-blue armor that made her even more intimidating, her eyes fixed upon the scene. Rose's mouth was set in a grim line, a furious expression which filled every particle of her being, so much that Donna could swear that there was a faint golden glow about her.

Yadathrin raised his gun and pulled the trigger, but to his disquiet, there was only a faint click and the gun yielded nothing, as though even the firearms quailed under the newcomer's wrath. And then Donna saw the foremost guard step forward and also take careful aim, his rifle pointing directly into Rose's face. But the alien intruder did not even falter. Stepping in front of the guard, Rose raised her metal left hand and took hold of the barrel of the guard's gun. Then in an act of incredible strength that shocked everyone, with a snap of the wrist, Rose's mechanical hand broke the gun clean in two with a loud crack.

"Step aside," she warned the guard. Her voice almost reverberated, as though she was speaking through a synthesizer, and raw energy seemed to rip from her. Terrified, the guard cowered.

That did it for the other guards. They all stepped backwards from the alien, their faces all reflecting the same terror and awe that the first guard displayed. Yadathrin also looked visibly disturbed, so much that he didn't even notice the two black-armored men appear beside Rose, holding what looked like rifles, but of a completely different caliber.

Even Donna was in awe and fear at what she saw. She had heard stories about Rose from the Doctor, but never in the wildest stories about the Doctor and Rose had Donna heard of anything like this. Was this something to do with what happened to Rose on the Void Ship, or was this something that ran deeper inside her, something the Doctor hadn't told Donna about, or something he himself knew nothing about?

Rose continued her approach, and the closer she drew, the further the guards retreated, until there was only the gravely injured Donna lying in the middle of the courtyard. Rose stopped in front of Donna and looked down at her friend, before stooping and pulling Donna to her feet. As Rose's mechanical fingers grasped Donna's arm, she suddenly felt energy coursing through Rose's entire body, almost like she was touching an electrical wire. But the energy didn't harm Donna.

Rose let go of Donna, who swayed, and then Rose pulled from a pocket in her armor a small device, which looked like a black badge with a red button in the middle. Rose handed this to Donna, and raised her right hand, which held another. Bewildered, Donna looked back up at Rose, and almost stepped backwards in surprise when she met her friend's eyes. But Rose looked down at the device in Donna's hands, and nodded at it, and Donna knew what to do.

But before she could press the red button Rose looked up, looking past Donna, and alarmed, Donna turned around to see Yadathrin stooping down, the tip of his tail aiming in their direction.

"Donna!" Rose warned, and Donna hastily pressed the button.

As a strange white light seemed to materialize around Donna, and a light-headed feeling came upon her, she thought she heard a faint popping sound. The last thing she saw before disappearing was Rose suddenly jerking back, like someone had roughly pulled her backwards and then released her; a short shaft covered in a milky-white substance protruded from Rose's neck. _The tail barbs_, Rose herself had warned Donna many weeks before,_ are coated with a glutinous substance that to a human is nearly three-thousand times more poisonous than cyanide._

* * *

Horrified, Mandahar fired again, and a beam of intense red light shot from his rifle and connected with Yadathrin's heart; a burst of sparks shot from the Sestati officer's chest, and the smell of burning flesh, already emanating from the dead guard on the ground, doubled in intensity. Yadathrin stared in shock at the weapon in Mandahar's hand, before slowly keeling over backwards and falling pathetically upon the ground, gasping for breath; the guards surrounded their dying colonel, but before anyone could shout for a medic, Yadathrin closed his eyes, and slowly exhaled his last.

But Mandahar had whipped around in time to see Rose sink to her knees, raising her prosthetic hand and pulling the barb from her neck. The golden glow ebbed away, and after a moment, Rose's face drained of all color as she stared in mild surprise at the lethal barb in her hand.

Simultaneously Delbadar and Mandahar took hold of Rose and lowered her backwards into a sitting position. Mandahar then straightened again to see the shocked Sestati guards now watching them hesitantly, unsure of what to do. Their commander was dead, their prisoner gone, and their weapons broken. But a couple seemed to return to their senses and start forward. Mandahar took a step backwards, and as he stared at the guards, he caught sight of Crotar standing behind them, a sad expression on his face. But Crotar gave Mandahar a nod, a gesture that he understood to mean "Get her out of here."

Mandahar looked at the teleport in Rose's right hand, and started to stoop down again to activate it; but Rose had one last surprise in store. Though she rapidly was losing consciousness, in one last burst of strength Rose struggled to her feet, swayed for a second, then activated the teleport and disappeared.

…

**Next time, you will hear at last what sort of weapon Etalih Innai is!**

**This last scene is one that I have been looking forward to writing ever since I started this story. It was an idea that struck me shortly after I wrote "Eve of the Eternal", and Donna raises the question herself: what in the world was going on with Rose here? I wanted to make it very clear that in this series something runs much deeper within Rose than simply her being a human being who doesn't age. **

**I'm interested in hearing your opinions on the matter! Leave reviews!**


	17. Chapter 17: Donna's Disclosure

Chapter 17:

Donna's Disclosure

"The doctors don't think so."

"I have reason to be more optimistic than them."

"You know as well as I do that it is extremely rare for anything to survive that!"

"Rose is something we have never encountered before. Who knows what she's can survive?"

"A member from most sentient species could easily be taken down by one of yours, Sadarin!"

"Only those who have been trained in the skill. Most of my species don't know how to do it."

"Shut up. It was just your bad luck that the one sentient race that could survive a Radalan sting was a great extra-galactic empire."

"That's why I'm optimistic, Kabid. The Helials were one of the few species that could survive it."

* * *

Yadathrin hadn't returned from the camp by the time they were due to depart, so Sarjeth had the pilot simply depart for Yaldego without him. The journey took a few hours, but the prisoner and his escort were silent the whole time.

To the Doctor, it didn't feel like very long, when compared with the laborious hours in the laboratories and the slow days in the Shathar prison, and so before he really knew it, the Halictid descended onto a runway, and ten minutes later the guards steered him out into a familiar scene: the Greyalden prison. He was back to where they originally had taken him and Rose and Donna, when they first arrived.

They didn't immediately take him to one of the insect-infested cells, however; instead, the Doctor now found himself inside the office where Yadathrin had first interrogated him, facing Sarjeth, who had taken the seat behind the desk, and drummed his clawed fingers onto the wooden desktop, staring at the Doctor, but said nothing.

Unable to bear it anymore, the Doctor finally demanded, "Are you going to talk to me or not?"

Sarjeth blinked. "Lord Davinathe will be here to issue instructions personally," he said, sounding bored. "I'm to hold you in here until he arrives."

"Which is when?" asked the Doctor.

Before Sarjeth could reply (or ignore the Doctor entirely), the door swung open again.

"Two seconds ago," Sarjeth answered sarcastically, and the Doctor turned to see Davinathe and another man in a military uniform enter the office. Sarjeth slowly rose to convey his superior the proper respect, then moved away from the desk to give Davinathe the chair. The other officer simply stood to the side, a spiked helmet under his arm, but the Doctor could see him watching him with interest, the same way that just about everyone did on this planet.

Sarjeth closed the door behind the two officials, and as soon as he did, Davinathe asked, "What is the status of the satellite, captain?"

"About two-thirds of the pieces have arrived," Sarjeth informed him. "The rest are still in transit."

"Good," Davinathe nodded. "And the second prisoner?"

"Will not arrive for another few hours."

Davinathe leaned forward over the desk. "Thank you. You may go."

Sarjeth bowed, and quitted the office; Davinathe looked at the Doctor.

"The machine is on its way to a site near the missile silos, about a twenty-minute flight from here," Davinathe informed the Doctor. "Starting tomorrow, you will begin rebuilding the device. Yadathrin will personally supervise your work shifts. You have one month to complete it. Is that understood?"

"What happens if it is not finished by that time?" the Doctor couldn't help but ask.

"_If?_" Davinathe's eyes narrowed. He glared at the Doctor, his face contorted with suspicion. He watched the Doctor for a moment, before answering, "_If_ it is not ready for launch by that time, your friend Donna Noble dies. If we launch it but it fails to work properly, your friend Donna Noble dies. If we get any suspicion of you tampering with the satellite prior to launch, so that it doesn't work, your friend Donna Noble dies."

"I see." The Doctor scratched the back of his neck, scowling, and realizing that Davinathe really had shoved him into a corner this time. His hearts sank as he realized that no matter what he did, there was only one way to prevent Donna's death, and that was to cooperate with the Sestati, and by so doing, claim responsibility for hundreds of thousands of people at the very minimum.

The Doctor wished that Donna had already arrived, so that he could hear her optimistic hopes that someone would intervene, because though he doubted the possibility of those hopes, the fact that _someone_ possessed them made the situation feel better. Nonetheless, the Doctor felt that it was over for him. This truly was a situation that he could not break from.

What he really needed now was a miracle.

The communicator on the desk buzzed as the Doctor sank into these gloomy thoughts, and Davinathe growled and turned it on. "Yes?"

"Lord Minister?" an astonished voice asked.

"This is Davinathe, speaking," he answered impatiently. "What is it?"

"This is Captain Seret of the Shathar guard," the voice responded. The Doctor, though he still hadn't mastered reading Radalan expression or interpreting their tones of voice, thought that Seret sounded strange, almost nervous.

"You may speak," Davinathe replied.

There was a long pause, as though Seret was afraid to answer, trying to think of how to speak. Finally, he said hastily, "A group of Relashian spies broke the alien prisoner out of Shathar five minutes ago. They also killed Yadathrin."

The Doctor was so astonished at this news that he couldn't react at all. He stared at the communicator, all the fears and resignation he'd previously felt at a standstill. He wasn't the only one; the official next to him gaped openly at the communicator, and Davinathe looked aside, his expression frozen.

The next moment was dreadful. The Doctor, the unnamed official, and the two guards slowly looked up at Davinathe, waiting for his reaction. Every single aspect of existence present seemed to halt in anticipation of the dictator's reply, and after a moment, Davinathe, clearly struggling to control his shaking voice, slowly asked, "And you failed to stop them?"

"We couldn't do anything!" Seret protested, now sounding openly scared. "It was the alien, we couldn't do anything against her!"

"The alien?" the official who had accompanied Davinathe spoke for the first time. "What alien? My understanding was that the alien was at your mercy."

"It wasn't the Donna alien," Seret said hesitantly. "It was another one, the missing one… Rose Tyler, I think her name was."

The Doctor's hearts leapt, but his excitement was quickly curtailed by the furious expression Davinathe wore as he glared up at his prisoner and the two guards. "You two," he said to them, his voice one of forced calm, "take the Doctor to his cell. General Aeshaan, you remain here."

The guards didn't need telling twice; Davinathe's expression could quell a Cyberman into submission. They pulled the Doctor out of the room, and as soon as the door closed behind them, they could hear Davinathe shouting furiously, though they couldn't tell if he was yelling at Aeshaan or at Seret. The guards didn't remain to find out, but dragged the Doctor away from the office, up a staircase, and flung him into an empty cell, the same one they'd kept him in when he first was imprisoned here.

But as the door slammed shut, the Doctor stood, and slowly made his way across the room to the window, the same window from which he and Rose had watched a brutal beating several days after their arrival. The Yaldegan desert was only lit by a couple of stars, but the Doctor still stared outside, his mind racing.

Rose had broken Donna out of prison. _Rose_ had _rescued_ _Donna_. The companion he thought he'd never see again had saved Donna. The Doctor couldn't stop dwelling on that one fact. There were no words to describe his astonishment. Donna's optimism had proved to be correct, against all probability. For the first time in weeks, the Doctor found himself able to wonder what Rose had been doing for the past few weeks, and not what was being done to Rose. What had happened with her? How long had she been working with the Relashians?

The questions raced through the Doctor's mind, but in the midst of this, another realization took root: Donna was safe. The Yaldegans had lost their leverage. Rose Tyler, who rivaled the Doctor in knowledge and capability, was now working for Davinathe's enemies. No wonder Davinathe was so angry and so scared! If only Rose had arrived a day earlier!

The enormity of what had happened caused the Doctor to feel what Donna had never stopped feeling: hope, the miracle he had needed. Rose was alive, and Donna was alive. How much did Rose know about what was going on? She had known he was in prison; did she also know about the weapon? Did she know what it did?

And if she didn't, Donna surely would tell her everything she knew. The Doctor didn't know what Davinathe would do to force him to build the weapon, now that Donna was no longer at his mercy; but the knowledge that Rose was actively working to put an end to this gave him a reason to hope.

* * *

The ache in her forehead was murder. This, being the first thing she became aware of, caused Donna to slowly open her eyes, but when she raised her arm to massage her head, an even greater pain shot through her ribs, causing her to flinch and lower her arm back into its original position.

She raised her head an inch, and realized that she was lying on her side on a sofa, or actually a sort of divan, with a bunch of cushions stacked behind her, supporting her, keeping her in such a position so that no pressure was put on her ribs. The room was dimly lit, but she could see daylight filtering in through a window, the first sunlight she had seen for days.

Then she saw something stir nearby, and realized that her earlier groan had roused a female Radalan, who had slept in a cushioned chair with her feet curled beneath her and her tail coiled around her like a snake. But seeing Donna awake, the woman leapt out of the chair and quietly asked how she was feeling.

"Like someone clouted me over the head with an anvil," Donna muttered.

"Given the condition you were in when you arrived, I'm amazed that's all you feel," the other responded. "I'm Delbadar Ervalon, by the way."

"Donna," she gruffly responded, leaning back into the soft divan. "I don't suppose you'll tell me where I am?"

"Izqavid, the capital city of Relash," Delbadar answered. "We've had people tending to your injuries, but unfortunately we can only do so much. Your physiology is so different from ours that the physicians fear that they'll do more damage to you."

Donna didn't reply. As Delbadar spoke, the memories came flooding back: the weeks of torture, the Sestati's cruelty, the Doctor, Ruelen the spy, and, of course, Rose, who had single-handedly put a stop to the Sestati guards' brutality; who had broken a gun in half with her bare hands; Rose, who had literally glowed with anger, who had teleported Donna out while the guards were too intimidated to move…

Just who was this companion the Doctor had picked up on Earth?

But as Donna dwelt on this, she suddenly remembered what had happened next, just before she activated the teleport, and forgetting her ribs, she abruptly sat up.

"Aaargh!"

Donna fell back, feeling as though someone had run a javelin through her side, and Delbadar rushed to her side.

"Please be careful, Donna!" the alien woman exclaimed. "Your injuries are serious enough already!"

Donna ignored her. "Where's Rose?" she demanded as soon as she caught her breath.

Delbadar froze, and after a moment, she hesitantly pointed across the room, and Donna, glancing over, noticed for the first time a second divan along the opposite wall, and Rose lay inside it, a respirator firmly placed over her mouth and nose. Tubes ran out of the respirator and connected to a machine set up on the bedside table, which emitted soft inhaling and exhaling sounds. Rose's face was very pale, and her eyes were tightly closed, so that she looked almost peaceful, but Donna thought that were it not for the breathing, she would look more like a corpse. A hideous ulcer had appeared on her neck, just over her jugular vein, and the skin around it was red and swollen, some of it peeling. Simply looking at it made Donna's stomach turn over.

"Will she live?" she whispered, terrified of the answer.

Delbadar looked away. "I don't know," she admitted. "Most other species don't survive even five minutes after suffering one of our stings. The fact that she lasted through the night is incredible, but hardly hopeful. The physicians certainly don't think she'll survive."

Glancing at Donna, she added, "Were it not for the fact that we happened to have a respirator designed for Edrens, Rose would not have survived at all. They had already rushed you out of the laboratory, and I hadn't arrived yet, but I'm told that Rose passed out the moment she reappeared in the teleport capsule, and by the time they called in a physician, she was unable to breathe without artificial assistance." She took a breath, and after a moment's reflection, continued, "We've been trying to extract the poison from her, and I think they've taken most of it, but the damage appears to have been done. She shouldn't be alive."

At that moment, someone rapped on the door, and Donna and Delbadar looked up to see another Radalan standing there, wearing a Capharon uniform.

"I thought I heard your voices," he said. "I hope you're feeling better, Miss Noble."

"A bit," Donna lied.

The man nodded, and slowly came inside, giving Rose a sad glance as he did.

"This is Sadarin Theletaos," Delbadar introduced. "You've undoubtedly heard of him by now."

Donna stared at Theletaos. "You're Davinathe's enemy?" she asked curiously.

Sadarin nodded. "We both consider me to be such," he said in a deadpan tone, his feathery brows raised.

"And did you get the Doctor out too?" Donna asked hopefully.

Sadarin lowered his gaze to the floor, looking ashamed. "I'm afraid we failed in that endeavor."

"You mean he's still in prison?" Donna exclaimed.

"He was already on his way back to Yaldego by the time we got inside Shathar," Delbadar said regretfully. "We got there just barely in time to save you. They were about to take you away too."

"He's back in Yaldego?" Donna repeated. "What for?"

"Davinathe fears the Relashian invasion," Sadarin told her. "The air raids are too close to Sanandrias for his liking, so he relocated the Etalih Innai project to Yaldego, and the Doctor with it."

"Then your efforts were all for nothing," Donna whispered, leaning deeper into the divan. "He was what you went there for."

"No, Miss Noble!" Sadarin cried vehemently. "We intended to get both of you out. We succeeded with you, so it wasn't a complete failure."

"But you need the Doctor," Donna insisted. "You need him out of the Sestati's grasp, so he doesn't build whatever it is they're building."

To this, Sadarin had nothing to say, but Delbadar, shaking her head, said, "With you out of Davinathe's hands, he'll probably find it more difficult to persuade the Doctor to cooperate."

"In the mean time," Sadarin said, finding his voice again, "we'll probably have to ask you about the weapon."

Donna started shaking her head fervently. "But I'm not a genius like the Doctor and Rose," she protested. "I don't know anything about technology! I can't even change a plug!"

"_Anything_ would help," Delbadar insisted. "But you don't have to answer now. Please get some rest, and when you can, try to remember all you can about the Etalih Innai device."

Donna nodded, and looked at Rose again. Sadarin followed her gaze at the ailing woman, then sighed and crossed the room to the window, lowering himself into Delbadar's chair, but he said nothing. Delbadar likewise remained silent, and Donna, realizing that the conversation was over, closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

* * *

After what seemed to be the course of a lifetime, she groaned and opened her eyes, but all she could see was darkness; her hands and feet seemed to be numb, but starting from her neck, she felt white-hot fire slowly permeate her body, seeping into her bones. But her limbs also felt heavy, and her head light. In spite of the pain, she was too weak to scream or even cry. All she could do was endure it.

"Rose?" she heard somebody enquire, but their voice seemed distorted, indistinct. She closed her eyes again, and opened them, but the blackness refused to dissipate, and she allowed them to fall shut again.

"Rose, can you hear me?"

The voice sounded more pronounced now, but Rose couldn't recognize it, nor could she answer. It was all she could do simply to listen. Attempting to reply hurt too much. The burning slowly spread down her arms and legs, countering the numbness, but she wasn't certain which sensation was worse. One was too painful, the other too unnerving. Feeling nothing was like the Void, but feeling something was unendurable; but she would have to tolerate it, because there was nothing else she could do.

"Rose? Rose, can you hear me? Can you answer me? Rose?"

* * *

When Donna woke up hours later, her headache had lessened substantially, and her ribs hurt less. With Delbadar's assistance, Donna found that she was able to sit up in bed, a great relief, because as she rubbed her eyes, she smelled something on the bedside table, and looking over, she caught sight of a tray of food.

Delbadar smiled as Donna stared at the food. "An all-Helial diet there," she said, smiling. "No Genthakl extract, nothing that our records say will harm you."

"You mean what you've been feeding Rose this whole time," Donna said, smiling, but she accepted the tray. She didn't particularly care for Cypnovan food, but as she picked up a roll made from seeds and some type of reed-like leaves, she realized just how hungry she was.

As she ate, she glanced over at Rose again, but couldn't see any improvement, except that the sore on her neck seemed to be less swollen.

"There hasn't been much change," Delbadar said, answering Donna's unspoken question. "While you were asleep, she seemed to have woken up, but she couldn't seem to hear or respond to me."

"But she woke up? That's better, isn't it?" asked Donna.

Delbadar shrugged. "No idea. I've never had to deal with this before."

That made sense, Donna supposed glumly, since most non-Radalans died from the poisoning very quickly. But Rose appeared to be a special case, and Donna wondered if Delbadar knew something else, since she seemed to believe that there was a possibility of Rose surviving..

As Donna finished her second roll, Sadarin entered the room again. This time a Valdaran Donna recognized as Kabid the ambassador accompanied him. "You're awake?" he asked unnecessarily.

Donna shrugged. "Obviously." Setting the tray back on the end table, she asked, "You're here to question me?"

Sadarin nodded, and took a seat nearby, while Kabid remained standing beside Rose's bed, sparing her a passing glance. Before Sadarin could ask anything, however, Donna proceeded to relate every detail she could remember from the R&D laboratory, and what had occurred there. When she finished, Sadarin smiled grimly.

"This Doctor of yours isn't bad," he said, looking impressed. "Not a lot of people would have the courage to say no to Davinathe."

"That's about it, really," Donna said. "I'm not sure it was of any help."

"We already knew it was a satellite," Sadarin said, looking off into space. "But that's all you could tell me?"

Donna nodded sadly, and Sadarin glanced at Kabid, who rubbed her head with her back hand, looking contemplative.

"The crystals were located at the front of the satellite, you say?" she asked, thinking carefully.

"Yeah, they were," Donna said.

"What does that mean?" asked Sadarin.

"No idea," Kabid admitted regretfully. "But Rose said that dethernide absorbs harmful radiation and can also make a powerful lens. Do you think they're trying to focus something through the crystals?"

"It's possible," Sadarin said thoughtfully.

"And there were coils on it?" Delbadar asked. "That sounds like a magnetic field of some sort…"

"…like the satellite will be holding something they don't want touching the outside casing," Kabid added, frowning. "Antimatter, perhaps?"

"Why bother with antimatter?" Sadarin asked. "If they wanted to threaten us with antimatter, they could fling a bomb at us."

"It doesn't have to be antimatter," a new, scratchy voice said, causing everyone to jump and look to the other bed.

Rose slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, the detached respirator in her hands. This she dropped onto the floor, before gingerly feeling the sore on her neck, flinching as her fingers made contact.

"Rose?" Kabid asked in shock.

"One and the same." Rose deadpanned. "Have you got any water?"

Delbadar leapt up and grabbed a small glass from Donna's tray, which was still half full. Rose took it with a grunt of thanks, then slowly sipped it. After she swallowed, she turned and swung her legs over the side of the bed, as though she intended to get up, but she didn't go much further, instead just sitting there, perhaps too weak to stand.

"You shouldn't have survived that," Kabid said, still disbelieving.

"Thanks for your vote of confidence," Rose said, her voice now less hoarse, but she was smiling. "It was the molecular regeneration. You kept me breathing, and my DNA did the rest."

"Molecular regeneration?" Kabid repeated, but Sadarin cut across her.

"Does Donna's report mean anything to you?" he asked.

Rose frowned for a moment, considering all she'd heard, then she finally looked at Donna. "Did the Doctor say anything about it, what it does?"

Donna thought back for a moment, then remembered their conversation just after the Doctor finally submitted to the Sestati's torture. "He started to," she said slowly, "but we were interrupted."

"What did he say?" Rose asked urgently.

"I dunno," Donna said, rubbing her forehead, trying to remember. "Something about tempered iron, and energy… and compressed matter, I think."

Rose, who's gaze had drifted off into space as Donna spoke, suddenly snapped back to attention at this. "Compressed matter?" she repeated, her eyes wide. "Are you sure that's what he said?"

"Yeah."

Rose stared past Donna, her mouth hanging open, and her already pale face blanching even further. "Oh shit. Oh _shit!_"

"Rose?" Delbadar asked, now looking scared. "What's the matter?"

Rose, however, had started talking very rapidly, more to herself than to anyone else. "Tempered iron, if I'm right, constructed in exactly the same way as… Donna, did he say if it was connected to anything?"

Donna reflected for a moment. "He could have."

"And that would be the purpose of the dethernide!" Rose exclaimed. "Not the chemical, but the crystallized form! Collapse that iron, and aim its poles at the crystals…"

"Rose, what are you talking about?" Sadarin demanded, standing up.

"Oh my God," Rose whispered. "They _wouldn't!"_ She then frowned, looking reflective and angry. "Scratch that. They would."

"It's bad?" Delbadar asked.

Rose looked at her; she seemed to have only just realized Delbadar was there. "What do you know about gamma lasers?" she asked.

Delbadar frowned at this unexpected question. "Only theory. That's what it is, after all."

"That's what Etalih Innai is," Rose declared.

"A focused burst of gamma radiation?" Delbadar queried dubiously. "Impossible."

"No, just unlikely."

"But it would take a nuclear explosion to generate such a ray," Delbadar retorted. "Just attempting it would destroy the satellite."

"You're quite correct," Rose said. "It would require that much energy, but not necessarily from a bomb. Donna's given us the final piece of the puzzle."

"What do you mean?" asked Donna in amazement.

"Jets of gamma radiation are incredibly powerful," Rose informed them, "and require tremendous energy, but in outer space, they occur throughout the universe every day."

"But Rose, the only thing that does that is a black hole!" Kabid protested.

"Exactly."

There was a dead silence, which after a few moments was only broken when a frightened Kabid whispered, "Impossible."

"That's the tempered iron," Rose said, her voice subdued. "It's held together in exactly the same way as the iron heart of a supergiant star, about to go into supernova. The iron is suspended in the satellite by a magnetic forcefield, and it is connected to what the Time Lords called a black hole converter. It's a matter manipulater which can compress mass to infinite density, thus creating an artificial singularity."

"The Yaldegans are creating a black hole orbiting Cypnov?" Sadarin whispered, his eyes widening too.

"But they'll destroy the planet!" Donna cried.

"No it won't," Rose said, shaking her head. "The sphere was only a couple of feet high, yes?"

Donna nodded.

"There you go. It's tiny, not large enough to damage the planet or even the satellite, but containing more than enough energy for this."

"I still don't understand," Donna said. "Don't black holes just suck in everything that gets too close to them? That's what the Doctor said."

"Anything that crosses the event horizon, yes," Kabid said, "but they also expel gamma rays from their poles when they're first forming, or when they take in too much matter. Even black holes require an energy balance, and if they take in too much at once, they have to expel something or they'd disintegrate."

"In this satellite, one of the poles will be aimed at a medium of a lens made from dethernide crystal," Rose continued. "Once the gamma jet strikes those panels, they'll absorb the poisonous elements while flattening the heat into a single stream, like the sun's rays through a magnifying glass."

"It's a heat ray!" Delbadar deduced.

"Yes, one which would cause a massive explosion wherever it strikes, and it can be fired more than once."

"When you say explosion," Donna said slowly, "you're not talking hand grenades, are you?"

"No," said Rose, her expression dark. "More like Hiroshima. Actually, this would be nine or ten thousand times more powerful. The Yaldegans might as well flick asteroids at every major city in the Dreithegan continents in less than an hour."

The entire room fell into stunned silence at this pronouncement. Then Kabid suddenly dashed from the room, and Sadarin sank back into his seat, looking more subdued and scared and angry than anyone had ever seen him.

"We can't fight that," he said, his voice shaking with rage.

"No," Rose said, leaning backwards so that she reclined against the wall. "I have a feeling that Davinathe will launch it whether the Doctor cooperates or not. If it goes wrong, the consequences could be much worse than a million deaths." Looking at the door, Rose added, "I'm sure Kabid is telling the Valdaran Senate as we speak. You and the rest of the Alliance also had better act quickly."

* * *

**Since the last chapter was so long, I'll stop there for this one, but I hope it will give you something to think about. I just looked at the story outline, and realized that there are only a few chapters left. I didn't think I'd ever get this far. **

**In the original outline, I intended Etalih Innai to be an antimatter bomb, but when I started reading about antimatter, I realized that antimatter technology is something we could have within a couple of hundred years, too primitive for the Helials. The way I see it, this gamma ray generator also is primitive by Helial standards (which is why the Yaldegans found it in a museum), but advanced and scary enough that the Doctor would refuse to have anything to do with it.**

**Because it originally was an antimatter bomb, "Etalih Innai" is "I annihilate" spelled backwards (denoting annihilation, the reaction between matter and antimatter). Though the scientific implication doesn't exist anymore, it still fits. **


	18. Chapter 18: Encirclement

Chapter 18:

Encirclement

An hour had passed after Rose finally understood and revealed the nature of Etalih Innai, in which her only company was Donna. Neither of them had said much, though Rose was absolutely positive that Donna now was just as scared as she was. The fact that the weapon was primitive by Helial standards didn't lessen the danger in the slightest.

She was sure that the others, Sadarin, Kabid, and Delbadar, had run off to contact their respected authorities, and this was Rose's one hope that Davinathe would be stopped and quickly. With any luck, the Valdarans would not tolerate such a weapon, or at least they wouldn't allow it to remain in Davinathe's hands. The planet Valdar was protected by its distance from Cypnov, but the Etalih Innai gamma ray burster would remain a threat to any approaching ships.

Someone knocked on the doorframe, and Rose looked up to see Sadarin standing there, significantly calmer than he had been earlier, but still very somber.

"Did you tell Scirithar?" Rose asked.

He nodded. "He's going to send for Feyathrin, Raquin, Lord Saron Garilon of Broma, and Lord Qitean Azfedir of Cattis, and whatever representatives they bring. He's calling some sort of conference to discuss this, and Yaldego's defeat."

"Do you think you can defeat them?" Donna asked, speaking for the first time in half an hour.

Sadarin thought for a moment, but he nodded. "Yaldego is powerful, but it's facing opposition from four different nations, three of which have a strong military, and two of which have an abundance of resources. Also, if Valdar decides to intervene, that increases our chances even further. Yaldego, on the other hand, has a strong military and an abundance of resources. Its most powerful allies, Mober and Broma, are less powerful in military, but both also have an abundance of resources. I think that, when it comes to it, the assault upon Yaldego will have to be hard and fast, probably at the very heart of the Pratethate, and done in such a way that the Yaldegans will be unable to receive assistance from their allies. But this will be discussed at the conference."

"What about after this war ends?" Rose sat up, wincing at the pain in her neck, but she looked intently at Sadarin. "That needs to be discussed as well."

Sadarin shook his head, shrugging. "It hasn't really been brought up yet. I think Scirithar is planning to put Yaldego under his control or under Capharon's control, however."

Donna then spoke up. "Erm… Commander, or… what am I supposed to call you?"

"Sadarin will do," he answered.

"I haven't heard anything about the outside since my imprisonment," Donna said. "The last thing I'd heard, there was some sort of blockade around Capharon. What's happened since then?"

Sadarin frowned, trying to gather his thoughts to explain the proceedings of the war. "The blockade is still in place, but apart from air raids, nothing really happened until recently. The Yaldegans shot down a Relashian airship, which was full of passengers, and until then, Relash was neutral. This upset them, of course, but what finally set Scirithar off was the news that the Doctor had submitted to Davinathe's demands."

"He hadn't really," Donna protested. "He was sabotaging the satellite."

Rose shook her head. "He won't be able to keep that up for much longer, not if Davinathe fully intends to use the weapon."

Her expression was regretful, and the others knew at once that she felt guilty at her failure in getting the Doctor out of prison.

"Anyway," Sadarin continued, "Since then, the Relashians have launched air raids against Yaldegan and Moberian cities, and they've been engaged in a long air battle near Gergnus, a city on the Yaldego-Mober border for the past week."

"Izqavid sends more airships and fighters every day," Rose added.

"Also, we've just received word that the Cattisians have started attacks on cities in Brazim," Sadarin told them. "Cattis has a good military, and the Brazims have therefore flooded to their east border. Hopefully if Cattis presses far enough into Brazim, the Yaldegans will be forced to split up their forces between Brazim and Gergnus, leaving them greatly weakened."

"So basically Yaldego faces a two-front war now," Rose said, looking thoughtful.

"It seems so," Sadarin verified.

"What's Capharon and Broma doing now?"

Sadarin paused. "Broma still holds the blockade, and Capharon sometimes participates in the air raids, or in minor terrorist attacks within Yaldego."

"How strong is Capharon's military?" asked Rose.

The other thought for a moment. "Capharon's got a tough infantry, but not a strong air force. Broma's got a good air force and navy, but their infantry isn't as strong as Capharon's." Sadarin searched Rose's expression. "Why do you ask?"

Rose's eyes met his. "Would Yaldego be able to withstand a third front?" she asked.

* * *

Two days had past since the Shathar breakout; since then, no progress had been made on the Etalih Innai device. In his office at Gavarik, Kadrev Aeshaan looked at the latest communication from Brazim, and sighed, knowing that he would soon have to call up the dictator and give him the bad news.

Davinathe, who had decided to remain at Greyalden to oversee the continuation of the project, left Aeshaan in control of military operations. The general of Yaldego's armies was to keep Gavarik under marshal law, but that left him with the difficulty of maintaining the troops on Yaldego's fronts. The Gergnus battle was a constant thorn in the side; it was nothing more or less than an ulcer for Yaldego. The Relashian air force had surrounded the city and held its position, collectively bringing down any Yaldegan fighters that approached. Every time Yaldego brought down one group of Relashian fighters, another took its place. Their superior numbers and their people's army gave Relash the advantage. However, in spite of their strength, the Relashians made no attempt to progress beyond Gergnus. It didn't take a genius to see what Scirithar was doing; he was bleeding Yaldego's armies white.

But if Yaldego backed down from Gergnus, the Relashians would proceed further into the Pratethate's homeland. Davinathe may have placed faith in Yaldego's powerful military, but Aeshaan knew that if the four enemy nations put a concentrated effort into encirclement, and if Relash was chief of those four nations, even if Yaldego managed to emerge victorious, it would be forever weakened.

Having avoided war for hundreds of years, Relash had had ample time to raise up a rival army to Yaldego's, if not a larger and greater army. It certainly had a larger air force; Aeshaan had seen the videos from Gergnus. It was like watching a swarm of insects stinging a wounded animal to death.

Davinathe may have been an efficient and corrupt member of the Sestati, but he was no soldier. More than once, Scirithar offered peace negotiations, but each time Davinathe refused. There would be no negotiations, only Relash's unconditional surrender. Aeshaan snorted at the memory. Considering that not a single Yaldegan Halictid had touched the South Dreithegan continent since Relash had declared war, Aeshaan now began to wonder about the stability of Davinathe's mind.

Nonetheless, he put Davinathe's sanity to the test and opened up a communications channel. The dictator's lackey Sarjeth, newly promoted to Colonel in Yadathrin's place, answered, but seeing Aeshaan's stern expression, he immediately transferred the call to Davinathe's office.

When Davinathe answered, Aeshaan caught sight of the captive Time Lord seated on a stool in the corner of the video with his hands bound behind his back. The Doctor's face was covered with bruises, and two Sestati brutes stood on either side of him. Davinathe gave the two guards a look, which prompted them to pull the Doctor to his feet and drag him out of the room. Aeshaan sighed inwardly with barely concealed disgust as he realized what he had interrupted.

"What is it, General?" Davinathe asked angrily.

"I have just received a notification from Brazim," Aeshaan informed him. "The Cattisian forces have broken through their defense at the Avrezium forest and besieged Brazim's largest battalion at Kaldnev. Minister Faldin informs me that without assistance they cannot break the siege, nor can they afford to lose this battalion."

Davinathe's eyes narrowed. "Then why have you not sent them assistance?"

"Minister, we cannot detract from the battle at Gergnus," Aeshaan told him in frustration. "Doing so would give the Relashians an opening to Yaldego!"

"Then dispatch some of the troops you have stationed on the west coast!" Davinathe retorted. "They are ideal, General. They have not…"

But to Aeshaan's surprise, the signal was suddenly cut off, and Davinathe's face was replaced with the three-eyed blue-violet face of Aldenar Maelis Grenaldar, the Minister-Consul of Valdar.

"Minister Ferjhaal Davinathe of Yaldego," Grenaldar began, "you will hear the declaration of the Senate of Valdar. Edre and Valdar now own your Helial weapon. You have one month to surrender the Etalih Innai gamma heat ray before we send the Entente Armada. If you do not cooperate, we will destroy your natural resources and your military bases."

There was a pause, in which Aeshaan supposed that Davinathe answered. Whatever he said, however, it wasn't long, or else it was cut off, because Grenaldar said again, "You will surrender the Helial weapon within one Cypnovan month or we will destroy Yaldego's resources. You will receive no other warning. There will be no negotiation. There are no terms."

* * *

"So," Scirithar said slowly as they closed the channel, "one month, and the Entente of Valdar and Edre intervenes. They can ignore world war on Cypnov as long as the water trade is unharmed, but they will not tolerate the existence of the Helial heat ray."

"Unless Davinathe finishes the Etalih Innai device within the month, which is impossible unless the Time Lord cooperates, the Entente will break Yaldego's power," Sadarin muttered contemplatively. "They'll take out the oil reserves, the military bases, the antimatter silos, everything Yaldego cannot do without."

"Burning the oil reserves could be catastrophic for the whole of Cypnov," Lord Feyathrin pointed out.

"Yes, well, the Edrens don't have any reason to concern themselves with that," Lord Garilon of Broma grunted bitterly. "Cypnov's water is all they care about."

"I will discuss this with the Valdaran ambassadress," Scirithar said, "but we must consider what ought to be done in the event that Consul Grenaldar follows through on his threat."

"And if Valdar decides to follow through on their threat, or if Davinathe refuses to comply?" asked Sadarin. "Davinathe will not listen to the Valdarans. His craze for power is too great."

Scirithar's eyes met Sadarin's. "We must find a way to penetrate Yaldego's defenses and weaken their military. Gergnus is no longer enough. If Cattis fails to break through the Brazim defenses within the allotted time, or if it becomes impossible for Capharon and Broma to penetrate Yaldego through the west coast, as Miss Tyler suggests, then you know the alternative, Commander Theletaos."

* * *

"I think it's clear what Scirithar means by that," Rose told Donna after Sadarin left her the report about the meeting. "The Dreithegan allies will need the oil reserves in the future as much as Yaldego does at present, assuming that they are victorious with Valdaran aid. If they have the opportunity, they'll wipe Yaldego off the map before they let the Valdarans cripple their planet."

"But I thought they had power sources apart from oil," Donna protested. "Like those fusion things you mentioned."

"It is true that antimatter and fusion coils could replace oil entirely," Rose said reflectively, "but that is easier said than done. There are only two antimatter generators on Cypnov, and fusion coils are so expensive that currently only the very wealthy can afford them. In order for oil to truly become unnecessary, they need to make both sources available for public use, and in order for that to happen, they need a working economy. Cypnov cannot get it off the Valdaran water trade, because that's what destroyed the economy in the first place. Oil is what strengthens their economy. Cypnov needs it; otherwise the Radalans will never gain economic independence from Valdar and Edre. To them it would be like being subject to the Helials again."

"So what is it Scirithar plans to do?" asked Donna, now seriously worried.

Rose looked away, her expression dark. "He is going to launch an antimatter missile at Greyalden, where we think the satellite is now being constructed, and thus destroy the Etalih Innai weapon completely, before he allows the Valdarans to blow up the oil reserves. The only thing that's making him hesitate to do so is Yaldego's response. All Scirithar is waiting for is Yaldego to weaken, or for one of the allies to seize Yaldego's functioning missile silos, and then he'll launch it. Even if Yaldego is still in full control of its antimatter arsenal, he'll still destroy Greyalden, even though it will probably ignite a nuclear war."

Donna stared. "But isn't Greyalden where the Doctor is now being held captive?"

Rose nodded. "Scirithar will launch it whether the Doctor's in Greyalden or not. That gives us one month to get him to safety."

"But what about us?" asked Donna urgently. "How will we get off this planet? We don't have the Tardis anymore. What if it gets destroyed with Greyalden?"

Rose shook her head. "It is as I said, Donna. We have one month to get him out and find the Tardis. I don't know if the Tardis can withstand an antimatter bomb, but I'm not willing to take that chance anymore than you are."

* * *

The door was thrown open, but the Doctor barely noticed, not even when the guards pulled him off his mattress and dragged him outside. They marched him into the hangar and took him into a Halictid, but he paid no attention. He had spent days in prison, and they tried to wear him down, whether through mental torture or physical. The Doctor didn't care anymore. He was steady in his resolve to not bend to them, but he no longer cared to pay attention to what they did to him, nor did he take note of his surroundings.

He barely noticed when the Halictid landed; the Time Lord hadn't kept time. He had no idea how long he'd been in it. They marched him across the dusty concrete landing platforms, and as he looked up at the nearby hillside as they went, his first conscious thought since he woke up was that he was at the missile silo he'd seen when he, Rose, and Donna first arrived. The Tardis had landed just at the top of that hill; of course, it was no longer there, and he could no longer sense it. His telepathic connection to the old time ship had all but severed, ever since his imprisonment in Mober. Still, he was back to where he started. Full circle.

Then he couldn't see the hill, the desert, or the sky anymore, because they took him inside a building he'd taken no note of. They took him to a room, where he could see that they had rebuilt the satellite they'd dismantled in Mober. And then he was in a chair, looking blankly into the eyes of Ferjhaal Davinathe. Again. He wondered if he'd ever look into anyone else's eyes again.

"You have been most unhelpful, Doctor," Davinathe started.

The Doctor didn't even blink. The words meant nothing to him.

"You have a streak of pride and stubbornness that I like," the tyrant continued. "We value this in our soldiers, when they face an enemy. I would that the armies of Yaldego had your backbone."

Again, the Doctor said nothing. _"Here it comes,"_ he thought sourly.

"But there are times when we must set aside our values," Davinathe said. "Finish the Etalih Innai device."

The Doctor looked at Davinathe. "Go to hell," he snapped.

Davinathe raised an eyebrow, and turned to one of the guards. The Doctor braced himself for the blow he knew the guard would level at him, But to his surprise, Davinathe instead barked, "Bring in the prisoners!"

The guard stepped out of the room, leaving the Doctor in confusion and foreboding. Prisoners? They couldn't have caught Rose or Donna again, could they?

But to his surprise, the guard returned with five Radalan men, each with their hands cuffed behind their backs, each looking around the facility with expressions of absolute terror on their faces.

"Mere citizens, with no criminal record of any sort. A shame," Davinathe told the Doctor. Turning to the guard, he hissed, "Now."

The guard promptly aimed a gun between the eyes of the first prisoner. _BANG!_ The man jerked and fell to the floor, as the guard moved to the second. _BANG! _Five times the guard did this, and five Radalans fell to the floor, never to move again.

Davinathe smiled cruelly at the Doctor's horrified expression. "You see what is at stake now, Doctor," he said calmly. "What is going to happen from now on, should you remain unhelpful, is your responsibility, and no one else's. Each day that the Etalih Innai satellite remains unfinished, I will execute the breadwinners to five random Yaldegan and Moberian families."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "You bastard!" he shrieked, unable to control himself anymore. "You foul, evil, bloody bastard!"

Davinathe smirked. "I may be that, Doctor," he laughed. "But telling me so won't stop me from my purpose." He turned to the guards. "Keep him here," he told them. "The Doctor is not to leave the facility until the weapon is complete."

With that, the dictator of Yaldego quitted the room, ignoring the obscenities the Doctor screamed after him. He smiled, delighting in the Doctor's anger, because he knew that the Time Lord's loss of control was a sign of desperation. Davinathe had found the solution, the final trump card. The Doctor would not sacrifice the families of innocent citizens who had nothing to do with the conundrum of the Etalih Innai device and the Doctor's stubbornness.

He had won. The Doctor would now build the weapon.

* * *

The last confrontation between the Doctor and Davinathe was not unobserved. Through one of the cameras in the facility, General Aeshaan watched the whole thing, and realized that whether by the sword or by a political coup, Ferjhaal Davinathe had to be stopped. The Valdarans' threat had made him desperate, and desperation and insanity were a very dangerous mix.

But what worried Aeshaan now wasn't merely Davinathe's horrible threat to the Doctor, which Aeshaan knew he'd carry out; it was that the Doctor would finally submit. The Doctor was many things, but Aeshaan knew a good man with strong morals when he saw one. He would not condone this act of governmental murder. Davinathe knew it, and Aeshaan knew it.

"Madman!" Aeshaan cursed.

It was utter insanity; because Davinathe would not yield, because he was desperate, he had driven everyone else to desperation. Who knew what Relash would do to ensure the confiscation or destruction of the Etalih Innai device? But it wasn't just Davinathe, Relash, and Capharon that had become desperate. Aeshaan was desperate, not to win the war, but to save his people and his planet.

So he did the one thing he knew was Cypnov's only chance. He called up the colonel who kept the guards at the western shore, and did exactly what Davinathe had ordered him to do.

"Colonel Kadran," Aeshaan told the elderly face that appeared on his screen, "take your troops to Brazim to assist in the fight against the Cattisians."

Kadran stared at him. "But General!" he cried. "Don't you realize that this would leave a gaping hole in our defenses with which the Dreithegans could…"

"Don't argue with me," Aeshaan snapped. "Do as you're told!"

Kadran blinked, the blank shock visible in his expression. Then he nodded. "Yes, sir!"

"Good," Aeshaan told him. "I expect you to move out by noon tomorrow."

Then he switched off the communicator. Aeshaan leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. There was no going back after this point.

"Yes, Kadran," he said to the empty screen. "I do know that I've opened up Yaldego to the armies and air forces of Relash and Capharon. I just hope that they aren't too late."

* * *

**I am so, so, so, so sorry! Writer's block mixed with a busy semester put this on hold. But now that I've managed a short chapter, as an offering of apology, hopefully I'll be able to get back to this. It's not far from completion. **


	19. Chapter 19A: Flight to Gavarik, Part I

Chapter 19A:

Flight to Gavarik, Part I

It was silent inside Lord Scirithar's Halictid. The soundproof walls muffled the roar of the engines outside, and inside the vehicle, nobody spoke. Rose sat beside Donna, her face drawn to the communications screen beside her through which she could see the view from the front of the Halictid, what the pilots saw. It was night out, but Rose could see the stars from her screen, and the layer of clouds below the ornithopter. She also could just see a gray streak forming in the eastern horizon, which told her it would be dawn soon.

Donna shifted uncomfortably beside her, and not for the first time, Rose questioned the decision to allow her to accompany them. Donna still hadn't completely recovered from her beating in the Shathar prison. It had only been a week since the Valdarans made their threat against Yaldego, time enough for Donna to recover substantially, but her face was still discolored with yellow bruises, and her rib still hadn't completely healed. Donna insisted she was fine. Rose wasn't so confident, but she just hoped that they themselves wouldn't get involved in the action in Yaldego.

Six days previous, Scirithar and Sadarin received the report that the Yaldegan troops had withdrawn from their western borders. Immediately following that, Capharon had sent its Halicitid armada to launch an assault against the western border. A Relashian air fleet followed that assault, and the previous morning, Scrithar received the news that the two armadas had broken through Yaldego's western defenses. Halictids and infantry, newly landed in Yaldego, now were making their way toward Gavarik, the very heart of the Pratethate. The invasion had begun.

Following the news of the invasion, Sadarin decided that it was time for him and his agents to return to Yaldego. He and Raquin sat inside the cockpit with the pilot, while Rose and Donna remained in the passenger seats with Delbadar, Temenir, Kabid, and a few of the Relashian agents who had helped free Donna.

All this meant one thing: it would be over soon. For better or for worse, the war, though short, would end soon. The palpable silence showed that this was clear to everyone. They knew from Kabid that the Valdarans were already preparing their armada, having received no reply from Davinathe. The Doctor was still in Greyalden, of course, and Rose didn't like to imagine what sort of coercion Davinathe was putting him through; Rose doubted that even the Valdarans' threat would have stopped Davinathe from persuing the Etalih Innai project.

For that reason, Sadarin wanted Rose to accompany them. He hadn't said as much, but Rose was absolutely positive that Sadarin planned to send a battalion to Greyalden solely for the purpose of stopping the project and rescuing the Doctor. Again, Sadarin wanted Rose to be a part of that mission.

The gray streak in the horizon slowly grew larger. They'd been in the Halictid for five hours, and it was another two before they reached Yaldego. She was going back. Back to where she started, back to Gavarik and possibly to Greyalden.

* * *

For the seventh time that week, the fifth victim fell. An aging Radalan, who seemed to have accepted death. His eyes were closed. His expression was peaceful. He had lived his life.

The Doctor wished he could turn away from the appalling spectacle, but he couldn't. Davinathe always made him watch. This last victim had particularly touched the Doctor, because he was brave to the end. He hadn't shown the terror that the other four had.

As the bodies were dragged from the chamber, the Doctor, as usual, was dragged into the chamber where the scientists had reassembled the satellite. The guards steered the Doctor to the dethernide panels, where he had worked. Working him, forcing him, driving him, to what they wanted. If the Doctor didn't act, people died. If he did act, people died. That was the way of things; a catch-22 that forced his hand in the direction Davinathe wanted.

That was perhaps the greatest disgrace. The Doctor never left the laboratory, but during the rest periods Davinathe granted him (which were few and far between), he cursed himself for what he was doing, and hoped for something, anything, that would end this before he finished the weapon.

The Doctor picked up one of the panels, lighter and cooler than glass, but stronger and harder than diamond. Dethernide was a unique mineral; aside from all its other properties, it also was oddly reflective, like a mirror. Thus when the Doctor looked at the dethernide crystal panel, for the first time in many days, he had a good look at his reflection, and was too tired to be shocked at the drastic physical change in him. His face was pale and wan, and there were dark circles around his eyes. He looked as weak and tired as he felt, almost emaciated. It was odd, the Doctor thought, but in his opinion he'd looked less wretched when the Master forced him to look as old as he was, than he did now. As a frail, shrunken creature locked in a bird cage, he still had that element of defiance, the feeling that beneath the suffering he still had control. But now he was tired, and his will was broken. That was the difference that mattered most to him.

A truncheon nudged him in the back, and the Doctor picked up the sonic blaster he'd finished the night before; after he'd finished it, Davinathe had it tested, making certain it worked as their records said it should. Feeling the eyes of the guards upon him, and the scientists watching from a distance, the Doctor switched the blaster on, and pointed it at the panel, activating it at a low setting. As he worked, he saw their faces, those Davinathe had executed in this chamber in the past seven days.

The panel's molecular structure realigned itself, turning the panel from teal to a transluscent lavender color.

In the Doctor's memory, a young, trembling farmhand who, according to Davinathe, had left three infant daughters behind, jerked backwards as the bullet ripped through his skull.

Setting aside the first panel, the Doctor picked up the second. He pressed the switch quietly. Lavender.

A middle-aged factory worker died shouting obscenities at an impassive Davinathe.

Third panel. He corrected the alignment.

The guard shot a young female between the eyes, eyes which had been downcast, unable to face her fate.

So the pattern went, the Doctor reflecting on each victim for each panel. Seven days. Thirty-five victims. Thirty-five panels. Thirty-five minutes passed. The Doctor put down the sonic blaster. Davinathe smiled.

"Excellent," he told the Doctor coolly. "Tomorrow you'll work on the black hole converter."

* * *

There was a soft rap on the door.

"Enter," called Aeshaan.

A younger man in the gold general's uniform stepped into the room. Aeshaan stood up and the younger general bowed.

"Welcome, Batzesar," Aeshaan said, pointing at the chair before his desk. "Do sit down."

General Batzesar took his seat. "May I have a word?" he asked.

"Certainly." Aeshaan looked at the map on his wall to the left, where he had marked the progress of the Capharon and Relashian armies on the west coast, and the Cattisian armies in the east. Batzesar was looking at them too.

After a moment, Batzesar asked, "What are you doing, Aeshaan?"

Aeshaan looked at the other general with raised eyebrows.

"You let the enemy in through the underbelly," Batzesar stated. "You took the armor away when you removed the troops on that coast."

"And you know why I did so," Aeshaan said quietly. "Davinathe ordered me to."

"Don't take me for a fool," Batzesar retorted. "You _want _Relash to win this war."

Aeshaan swallowed, and he thought his heart missed a beat as Batzesar made his accusation, but determined to remain calm, he contemplated his fellow officer. Imhran Batzesar, a young general, good clean record, but one whom Aeshaan knew to be reasonable, and who, like many of the officers of the military, secretly held the Sestati in contempt. As Aeshaan considered Batzesar, he resolved to discover how much his loyalty lay with the Pratethate Warlords, or whether he was loyal to Davinathe.

"Perhaps," he told Batzesar. "The question is, what are you going to do next?"

"Sir?"

"You heard the Valdarans' threat," Aeshaan said sternly. "You know what's at stake. Why else have you come to see me? I'm not going to stand aside and let Davinathe's stubbornness destroy my country and my planet, and neither are you."

Batzesar inhaled deeply, looking scared.

"Had you thought me wrong in my actions, had you thought me a traitor," Aeshaan continued, "you would have reported it to the Sestati and Davinathe instead of confronting me."

The other general looked away uncomfortably. "That is true," he admitted. They fell silent for a few minutes, before Batzesar finally asked, "I don't know if you'll answer… I don't know if you've even got one, but there are several of my fellow officers who desire to know… who's really running Yaldego? Where is the Premier Warlord?"

That was a good sign. "He's dead," Aeshaan replied flatly. "He has been for some time now."

"So Davinathe's acting as Premier Warlord," Batzesar stated, and Aeshaan heard the smallest hint of revulsion.

"Yes," Aeshaan confirmed. "And he's going to hold onto that power, whatever the cost. Which brings us back to the original question. What are you going to do next?"

* * *

"It seems that the opening of a third front has weakened Yaldego as predicted," General Dalage told Sadarin as he unrolled a map. Rose bent over it, looking at the western coast, where Dalage had marked his army's progress.

"How long before we reach Gavarik?" asked Sadarin.

"That depends on the level of resistance," Dalage replied. "As of yesterday we have pushed to Arival." He pointed at a town that looked to be roughly four hundred miles from Gavarik by Rose's estimation.

"So soon?" she asked in surprise.

Dalage nodded. "As I said, our progress depends on the level of resistance, and so far we've encountered little." He pointed at the Yaldegan armies, marked in blue, which were mostly concentrated in eastern Yaldego. "Kadran and Ixdann's armies are in Brazim, currently in a gridlock against Cattis. The majority of Yaldego's remaining force continues fighting at Gergnus. The whole of western Yaldego is open to us."

"What about the people?" asked Raquin. "Yaldego is a military regime. Most of the middle and upper-class people have some fighting experience."

Dalage shook his head. "There is further reason for optimism there. Everywhere we go, the Yaldegans surrender in droves. They seem to be fighting among themselves more than against us, and more than once, we would arrive at a town to find that the locals had already captured or killed local Sestati agents."

"You mean that Yaldego's in a state of insurrection?" Sadarin asked in amazement.

"Or next thing to it," Dalage replied. "But as you know, the Valdarans, when they presented their ultimatum, they broadcasted it to the whole of Cypnov. Everyone on this planet has heard the words 'Etalih Innai' now, and they all know what will happen should Davinathe refuse to comply. There's been no indication, however, that Davinathe has agreed to surrender the weapon, or that he's even replied."

"The man must be mad," groaned Sadarin.

"You're not the only one who shares that sentiment," Dalage answered. "Hence the fighting within Yaldego."

Rose could see that from the global map that her communications screen also showed. With nothing else to do, she directed the map to show Yaldego, so she could see both Gavarik and Greyalden. The latter was about five hundred miles from Gavarik, and about four hundred from Jasilin, a seaport on the West Yaldegan Coast which, without much assistance from Yaldego's army or air force, surrendured after a day. The former, built near Yaldego's eastern coast, was some six or seven hundred miles from the west coast, not an enormous distance by any means, not for an airborn race. If the Yaldegan armies still were able to battle the third front, reaching Gavarik and overthrowing the regime would take time, and it was unlikely that the invasion and the subsequent siege would bring victory in the three weeks before the Valdaran armada destroyed Cypnov's resources.

* * *

A soldier knocked on his officer's door. When the sharp voice inside beckoned him to come in, he cautiously stepped over the threshold. The officer looked up.

"Lieutenant Telghaim," General Batzesar greeted cooly.

"I have the list you asked for," Telghaim told him quietly. "The high-ranking Sestati officers and their units."

Batzesar reached a hand out and took the list from him.

"How many of these are in Gavarik?" he asked, looking it over.

"Six," the lieutenant answered. "They're all marked."

The general nodded. "You know what to do?"

"I think so."

"Then prepare your battalions. Bring them all to us alive if possible."

Telghaim swallowed, but his expression was determined. "What of the Sestati's prisoners?"

"They will be placed in military custody for the time being," Batzesar told him. "We will review their cases when this is over."

The young lieutenant saluted Batzesar, and then he left the room. Batzesar inhaled slowly as the door snapped shut, and then he opened up his communications screen to report to Aeshaan. The Sestati was all that stood between the military and peace negotiations, but not for much longer. Not if he and General Aeshaan had any say in it. Within a week the war would be over.

* * *

**I know this one was short, but I wanted to get something up to assure you that I'm still working on this and I haven't given it up. I've been in Russia for the past eighteen months, and I've been too busy to work on any of this. But I'm home now and I can start it up again. **

**Thanks for bearing with me. **


	20. Chapter 19B: The Fall of Gavarik

**A/N: I'm relieved I finally finished this chapter. I knew the premise perfectly well but it was very hard to write. But here it is. Happy Thanksgiving!**

Chapter 19B:

The Fall of Gavarik

"Scirithar's men sent me satellite images she's taken of the town for the past couple of weeks," Sadarin told Rose and Donna as they bent down over the communications screen on the table. He tapped the screen in a couple of places and an image appeared. Sadarin enlarged it, giving them a better view. "They've been watching Greyalden ever since the Doctor was taken there. There doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary about the town, but if you look over here…"- He zoomed in on an area a couple of miles south-east of the town— "There's a disused missile silo which we think the Sestati has occupied and fortified. I'd say that's where they're building the Etalih Innai satellite."

"But that's all you can tell us?" Rose asked. "No information about the infrastructure, no schematics that might give us a way in?"

"Working on it," Sadarin said defensively. "The Sestati keeps its information encrypted, of course…"

"I thought you'd broken their codes," Donna interrupted impatiently.

"We have," Sadarin growled, "but you can imagine that they'll have a whole different encryption for something they keep as close as Etalih Innai, and we haven't been able to even tap it yet." He turned back to the image. "Now, she says that during the past few days there are Sestati guards posted around this warehouse here"- he pointed—"But aside from them no one ever goes in or out."

"You think the Doctor's in there?" asked Donna.

"Possibly," Sadarin replied. "If he is, they're either just keeping him there at all times or they've got some underground passage connected with wherever they're keeping him."

"Either way, we don't have enough information yet to safely send a rescue squad," Rose sighed. "So basically we've got an encryption to break, or a captured Sestati to extract information from. Works for me."

"Bear in mind that you've only got a couple of days to do it," Sadarin reminded her. "If the Valdarans make good on their promise, their armada will be here in six days."

Rose looked at Sadarin intensely. "I've got to try, Sadarin. Even if I don't find and break the encryption, I'm ready to go in there with or without the schematics."

The Radalan smiled sadly. "Yes, I know you would."

At that moment, a loud rap on the door drew their attention from the satellite image, but not waiting for any response, General Dalage opened the door and entered the room.

"Commander Theletaos, I've just received the report from the battle at Delfanen," he announced.

"No one's told me anything about it since it started two days ago," Sadarin said, confused. "Are you telling me it's over?"

Dalage nodded, and handed Sadarin some papers. "Read them for yourself. I'm not sure what to make of it myself."

Rose and Donna watched curiously as Sadarin read the report. A couple of minutes passed, and then they saw Sadarin's eyes widen in bewilderment, and he looked back at Dalage.

"You're telling me that even though he held Delfanen fast for two days, the Yaldegan commanding officer took his army and abruptly abandoned the city?" Sadarin asked him incredulously. "Just like that? For no apparent reason?"

"Yes," Dalage replied, "leaving Delfanen with only a light brigade under one Captain Tanelinos, who surrendered it only a couple of hours ago."

Sadarin looked back at the report. "This Colonel Kalphlan," he said slowly, "who's his commanding officer?"

"General Kadrev Aeshaan, I believe," Dalage told him.

"Aeshaan," Sadarin muttered thoughtfully. "I remember him. Very aristocratic, influential man. He was always close to the Premier Warlords. He isn't part of the Sestati, not that I know of, but he's still one of Yaldego's most powerful men."

"I've looked into his role in this war," Dalage told Sadarin. "It may interest you to know that it was he who withdrew the Yaldegan armies from the west coast, and now he's withdrawn one of Gavarik's last lines of defense."

"Aeshaan's no idiot," Sadarin said, more to himself than to Dalage. "He knows full well that the west coast is Yaldego's weak spot. What's he playing at?"

"We're keeping an eye on his movements," Dalage replied. "I'll keep you posted, in case anything happens."

* * *

It was the evening that the Dreithegan armies occupied the town Delfanen, that Lord Aeshaan entered the palace of Gavarik and requested an audience with Lady Aervanyn Theletaos, who, since the war started, had not been spoken to nor consulted by anyone of importance in the Yaldegan militia. Thus the request had surprised her, but she eagerly granted it, desperate to know what was happening.

The general stepped into Aervanyn's drawing room, where she sat on a divan accompanied only by her maid. Aeshaan bowed his head respectfully to Deljath Theletaos's widow, who returned the greeting and then dismissed the footmen who had shown him in. As soon as the door closed, Lady Aervanyn's eyes met General Aeshaan's, and he then looked around the room without saying a word. He then stooped down beside her table and looked under it, and then he reached under and withdrew a microphone. Her lip curled in contempt, but she understood immediately that whatever he had come to tell her, he did not wish the Sestati to hear it. So she beckoned to the balcony, and the general followed her out. They then both spread their wings and leapt lightly from the balcony, and Aervanyn then led the way toward one of the palace domes. When they landed, she looked at him expectantly.

"Can we be overheard here?" Aeshaan asked her quietly.

She shook her head. "I don't think so, though I'm not sure what difference it makes at this point. So, what did you come to tell me?"

Aeshaan didn't beat around the bush. "Your husband's dead," he told her quietly.

She didn't look surprised. "When?"

"Some weeks ago, on the day the Time Lord's friend was kidnapped." The other looked out toward the west, where he knew the enemy troops, even at that moment, were advancing. "He was shot by a Capharon assassin, but the Foreign Minister"—Aeshaan's voice had a hard edge to it— "deemed it necessary to conceal his death, even from you."

Aervanyn shut her eyes and inhaled deeply, but nodded. "I thought he might be," she told him. "When there's been no sign of him for weeks, and with Davinathe running the place like he owns it now… it hasn't been difficult to work out the truth."

"I just want you to know," Aeshaan told her, "that whatever happens, I'm willing to take you and your daughter under my protection, if necessary, but this war cannot go on. Davinathe must be removed from power, at any cost."

"Well, of course he must be," Aervanyn said impatiently. "It's not a question of whether he should be allowed to remain; only a complete lunatic would disagree at this point. The question is how to get rid of him."

"Unfortunately, the Sestati is full of complete lunatics." Aeshaan looked back at Aervanyn. "But I'm here to tell you that everything's been arranged. I'm going to take action tonight. If all goes well, then this war will be over in a few days."

"You're going to try to take over." It was a statement, not a question. Aervanyn raised her eyebrows, and he thought he saw a flicker of disquiet in her expression, but her voice was calm.

Aeshaan nodded. "Hopefully it has already begun. With any luck it won't be too difficult. Davinathe knows he is losing and he'll have kept his most loyal lackeys with him for protection. Yadathrin is dead and Gredethan has disappeared. Sarjeth has replaced Yadathrin but when it comes down to it he's got the guts of a squeefrak, and at any rate, he's also in Greyalden with Davinathe. Without any of the bigshots in Gavarik we may have a clear shot at this."

"You won't control Greyalden, though."

"No, but I can isolate it."

"And if you are successful?"

"I promise you protection, to the best of my ability," he told her. "But I also trust that your brother-in-law will be more reasonable than your husband and Davinathe ever were."

Aervanyn swallowed, looking nervous for the first time. But here eyes held a new determination. "Is there anything you want me to do?"

* * *

In the Gavarik city center the Sestati General Headquarters stood, a formidable building without windows, overlooking the darkening street that led directly to the palace. People in the streets usually walked or flew past the edifice without looking at it, avoiding thinking about what often went on in there, but there were always some who looked at it both nervously and curiously. Most of the time only Sestati went in and came back out. Most outside the Sestati or the military who entered that building never came back.

On this evening, however, a crowd of angry civilians had marched before the building, gathering around it to demand an immediate appearance of the Premier Warlord. The fact that they had chosen to stage this demonstration outside the Sestati Headquarters spoke much about their intent: the war was not going well, the Valdarans had openly threatened Yaldego and even Cypnov as a whole, and throughout all this they heard nothing from Deljath Theletaos. The disappearance of the Premier Warlord sparked rumor, and in the absence of accurate information the imaginations of the public ran wild. Conspiracy theories abounded ranging from the flight of Lord Theletaos from Yaldego to his murder at the hands of his Foreign Minister, and with the threat of their nation's imminent fall, the public's anger overcame its fear of the secret police.

Colonel Jernithan of the Sestati, observing the demonstration through the camera systems, understood immediately that the Sestati would need military aid to disperse the crowd, and so sent his aide to send for the nearest battalion, which under the command of one Lieutenant Telghaim, right-hand man to General Batzesar.

The lieutenant responded promptly, and as soon as the armed battalion glided into view, bringing with them the very welcome news that the armies of Colonels Geltrar and Kalphlan soon would enter the city as well. The subjects of Gavarik began to panic; from his viewpoint in a building watchtower, Jernithan exhaled in relief, and smiled as Telghaim's men came nearer. The soldiers brandished their weapons at the crowd, pushing them back but not firing; seeing that Telghaim showed no desire to actually kill anyone, the protestors did not disperse. Rather, their anger increased, and their calls for the Premier Warlord escalated into a loud roar that was audible throughout Gavarik, drawing the attention of still more citizens.

Telghaim's men pointed their guns at the crowd and marched forward, pushing the protesters back and forming a pathway to the door of the headquarters, and as they did so, unseen by the crowd, Telghaim himself and a couple of other officers quickly strode to the closed door. They were unsurprised to find it locked, but Telghaim had no time to request access. Without a word he raised his automatic weapon and fired at the door handle. He then kicked the door open and he and his men, weapons raised, rushed inside. The crowd, startled by the sound of gunfire, started to step back from the soldiers, but an order barked by one of their captains prompted them to turn around and storm into the building as well.

Jernithan heard the gunfire as well, but when he looked at the crowd on his computer screen, he noticed that not a single one of them was dead, they all remained exactly where they were moments before, and that there wasn't a single soldier in the street. But the sound of guns continued.

Then the building alarms went off, and he heard someone running toward his office, and the door burst open.

"We're under attack!" the young sergeant gasped. "Telghaim and his men-"

But he didn't need to say any more. His fearful expression and the spots of blood on his uniform and face told Jernithan everything. Telghaim did come to intervene, but on the side of the people.

"What's being done?" he demanded.

"Lord Krendelthar's men have engaged Telghaim's," Sergeant Felthran told Jernithan, "and Strekfel and Extran are on their way; but they might not get there in time, and Krendelthar won't hold them for long. Telghaim's men outnumber his."

Jernithan nodded. "Get on the communications panel, and contact Colonel Kalphlan. We'll need his assistance."

Sergeat Felthran nodded and bounded to his commanding officer's desk. Jernithan ran to the door and drew a pistol, waiting for the shouts and gunfire to draw closer.

"Is this the twelfth army?" he heard Felthran frantically say into the com. "Come in, Colonel Kalphlan! Yes, this is Sergeant Felthran, speaking for Seldar Jernithan of Sestati Squad Sixty-six. Yes, we need your assistance. Lieutenant Telghaim-"

But he stopped abruptly. Jernithan looked away from the door for a second in confusion, only to see Felthran staring wide-eyed at the com. Looking at the former, he said fearfully, "They hung up!"

"What do you mean, they hung up?" Jernithan yelled.

"I mean they hung up!"

The gunfire drew closer. Jernithan primed is pistol and raised it. "Sergeant," he said over his shoulder, "send a message to Colonel Sarjeth in Greyalden. Minister Davinathe must be informed at once-"

"At once, sir."

"Tell him that two Yaldegan armies have received a call for help and rebuffed it," Jernithan growled angrily, "two armies which are entering Gavarik's city boundaries as we speak. We are also under attack by one of-"

There was a loud bang and a popping sound. Colonel Jernithan's blood splattered the doorway as he fell backwards, shot in the face.

* * *

Raquin Nahtavid couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Jumping from his work station, he left the room and ran down the corridor to the chamber where he knew Sadarin, Dalage, and Rose to be planning their move on Gavarik. For the past few hours he suspected that they, like everyone else who knew about it, were discussing the reason for the easy fall of Delfanen.

But when Raquin turned on the news feed, he understood instantly.

Sadarin, Dalage, Rose and Donna all looked up when he entered, but without a word, Raquin walked over to their communications screen and began hitting buttons until he began uploading the news feed.

"Sadarin, I think you'd better see this," he said as the images came on.

The others stared as a video appeared, showing a city street where a crowd of hundreds of Radalans flocked around a complex of windowless buildings, screaming and shouting and throwing rocks at the buildings.

Sadarin squinted at the image. "But… that's the Sestati General Headquarters in Gavarik!" he said, astonished.

Even as he spoke, the camera panned over to the main door of the front building, where suddenly a group of Yaldegan soldiers stepped out, dragging behind them men in Sestati uniform, who were bound and gagged. The crowd let out a roar of approval as the soldiers forced the Sestati officers to their knees, holding guns to their heads. As they watched, one Sestati, even with his wrists and ankles bound, tried to take flight, but he got no further than a few feet before the crowd took hold of him and threw him back to the soldiers, who promptly shot him dead.

"How long has this been going on?" Donna asked Raquin.

"It started a couple of hours ago," Raquin replied. "It's not clear who's commanding those particular soldiers yet, but since this broadcast went out they're saying that a couple of warlords have taken their armies occupied Gavarik. One of them being Colonel Kalphlan."

"That's why he abandoned Delfanen? To put down this uprising?" asked Dalage. He scratched his head thoughtfully, then asked, "His commanding officer is Kadrev Aeshaan, right? Where's he throughout all this?"

"Haven't heard yet," Raquin replied, "but it doesn't sound like Kalphlan intervened on the side of the Sestati. Apparently they've stormed the General Headquarters and completely cleared the building, but have done nothing to disperse the rioters nor the soldiers who first revolted."

"Who's the other warlord?" asked Rose.

"Tendal Geltrar," Raquin replied. "I believe he's also under Aeshaan's command."

The others looked at each other.

"You think this Aeshaan's behind it?" asked Donna.

Raquin glanced and Sadarin and Dalage, and nodded. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Then it's a military coup," Rose breathed. "Aeshaan's trying to unseat Davinathe."

"Is that a good thing?" asked Donna.

"Depends on what Aeshaan's planning for Yaldego," Sadarin replied. "But I'll tell you one thing: whatever Aeshaan's intentions, Yaldego's own military turning in on itself will immensely weaken all their defenses, almost to nothing, especially with us closing in on the heart of their nation."

"Surely he knows that?" asked Rose. "From what you've said, he's a very talented and experienced general."

"What Aeshaan knows or doesn't know isn't relevant," Dalage said, standing abruptly. "We've never had a better opportunity than now." Looking at his map, he said, "Our closest forces are at Delfanen and Hemdarex. That's only two days from Gavarik, possibly less if Yaldego's military is crumbling." He looked at the others. "Raquin, I want you to get with Agent Mandahar and find out exactly what's going on at the front, and how quickly and easily we could get our forces to Gavarik now. I'm going to brief our commanders on the front about what's happening. Sadarin, your sole assignment is to work with Miss Tyler and Miss Noble to break the Etalih Innai encryption, and arrange an expedition to get the Doctor away from Greyalden, and, if possible to destroy Davinathe's weapon."

"Will this change things for the Doctor?" asked Donna apprehensively.

"Yes," Dalage replied. "The moment Davinathe hears what's happening in Gavarik, he will be more desperate than he's ever been, and he will push the Doctor even harder. Time is rapidly running out. We have to move quickly."

* * *

Aeshaan looked at the four Sestati agents at the foot of the stairwell in the Great Hall of the Pratethate, all on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs, and burlap sacks pulled over their heads. They were held down and at gunpoint by a brigade of soldiers, and at the forefront was Lieutenant Telghaim, who saluted his general as soon as he made his appearance.

Beside Aeshaan, General Batzesar looked from the arrested Sestati captives to Telghaim, and coldly asked, "Their names?"

"Colonel Talgavik, Lord Krendelthar, Lord Strekfel, and Colonel Extran," Telghaim replied. "All of them men you wanted arrested and brought before you. It's over. Gavarik is under your command."

Batzesar nodded. "What of the other two Sestati I wanted brought here?"

"Colonel Jernithan is dead," Telghaim reported with a shrug, "and we haven't found Colonel Faletaos yet."

Batzesar looked at Aeshaan, who gave him a curt nod, and turned back to Telghaim. "Very good, lieutenant. Take them to base and lock them away until further notice. Give them adequate food, but no one is to see them except for you or one of us."

"Traitor!" one of the captive Sestati shouted from under his blindfold. The soldier behind him gave him a rough jab with his rifle.

Ignoring this interruption, Batzesar continued, "If Faletaos is found, he is to be given the same treatment. Make sure that Kalphlan and Geltrar know. That will be all."

Telghaim saluted Batzesar, and then nodded to his men, who roughly forced the captives to their feet and dragged them from the hall. The Sestati agents, even whichever one had shouted at Batzesar, were quiet throughout. They had nothing more to say, knowing that no one who heard would care. Once they were gone, Batzesar looked at Aeshaan.

"It probably would have been simpler just to execute them," he told his comrade.

"Simpler, but hardly honorable," Aeshaan replied. "When all this is over, I may simply turn them over to the Capharons. I'm sure they'll know how to deal with them."

Batzesar shrugged, and as they both turned and began climbing the stairs to exit the hall, he asked, "Do you think there will be trouble from the armies in Brazim and Gergnus?"

"If they know what's good for them, they'll have surrendered the second they heard what's happening here," Aeshaan grunted. "This will be over before any generals loyal to Davinathe can do anything. The Relashian armies are about to take Gergnus anyway. The armies of Brazim will fall if Colonel Kadran turns around and tries to intervene here, and he knows it."

"There are many who will view you as a traitor," Batzesar remarked.

"This isn't about me," Aeshaan replied coolly. "It boils down to the question of, when put in the right situation, whether you'd choose your nation over your world. I've considered that situation many times, and I decided long ago what I'd choose."

"I understand that," Batzesar replied. "And I agree with it. But your decision, even if it's the right decision, won't be a popular one."

"Won't it?" asked Aeshaan. "I'm not sure. You've seen what's going on in Gavarik and what has been going on in the west coasts. I believe I am right to say that most of the people are loyal to the Pratethate, but not the Sestati. I don't think we need to do any more than egg the public on when they stage full insurrections against their respective Sestati networks. Speaking of which, is all ready for Lady Aervanyn's broadcast?"

"It should be."

"At any rate," Aeshaan continued, "It's not as though I'd be running Yaldego under my own terms for long anyway. Not with Capharon and Relash only a couple of days away from besieging Gavarik themselves."

"And Sadarin Theletaos?" asked Batzesar. "What are you going to do regarding him?"

"He won't want to take his brother's place as Premier Warlord." Aeshaan paused as they reached Lady Aervanyn's sitting room door, but didn't enter. "But I'm willing to work with him for the good of Yaldego and all of Cypnov. After Aervanyn broadcasts I'm going to try to withdraw our forces from Brazim and Gergnus. Then I'm going to contact Commander Theletaos and Lord Scirithar and call for a ceasefire. If all goes well, Yaldego will have surrendered by tomorrow."

"Undoubtedly and unconditionally on Relash and Capharon's terms," Batzesar sighed.

"There's nothing we can do about that," Aeshaan replied. "And frankly, Commander Batzesar, I don't think we deserve to end this war on our own terms."

With that, he knocked on Aervanyn's door and without waiting for a reply, the two generals entered. The late Premier Warlord's widow, sitting on a divan next to a few soldiers with camera equipment, was already expecting them.

* * *

"_Every day the Valdaran Armada grows closer to Cypnov." _Lady Aervanyn Theletaos's voice echoed out throughout Cypnov, showing on every news reel and every propaganda screen in every town. _"They have warned us, and they fully intend to carry out their threat if we do not concede to their demands._" Her expression turned angry. _"But, citizens of Yaldego, there is no evidence that Minister Davinathe has tried to negotiate with the Valdarans or even has replied to their threat. He is knowingly and deliberately risking the well-being and progress not just of Yaldego, but the whole of Cypnov, and for what? A stolen weapon which, at this point, will not save Yaldego anyway? Is it worth it? I ask you, is this weapon worth the crippling of Cypnov, leaving our world for the Valdarans and the Edrens to rule, just as the Helials once ruled it? Is it? Will you allow this to continue? Or will you stand up for yourselves, your families, and your planet and rid Yaldego of this pretentious tyrant?"_

Sadarin Theletaos, alone in his office, watched his sister-in-law appeal to the people of Yaldego with interest. It had only been a few hours since he first heard of the riots in Gavarik, but evidently Aeshaan had moved quickly to eliminate any immediate Sestati backlash within the capitol's boundaries. The coup had been successful in Gavarik, but the Sestati still controlled where the Yaldegan military did not and where the Dreithegans had not yet landed. Now Aeshaan hoped to crush the Sestati-occupied towns before they could organize themselves, and the only hope of immediately doing so was by inciting the local populace against them.

"_Will you, the people of Yaldego, continue to endure this farce of a government which has covered up the death of your monarch and used his disappearance to exploit your uncertainty, so they can run this great nation as they like?"_ Aervanyn demanded._ "Will you put up with this Sestati, who butcher your fellow countrymen each day for their own gain rather than the nation's good? Will you stand back and do nothing as they continue to plunge Yaldego into disarray and chaos, reducing it to a mere echo of its former greatness?"_

Sadarin had grown to hate the Pratethate, but even he had to admit that Aeshaan's appealing to Yaldegan loyalty to the royal family, if it worked, was a brilliant maneuver. Though the Premier Warlord was fully involved in the Sestati's atrocities prior to his death, by revealing Deljath's death and making him look like a victim to Davinathe's machinations, Aervanyn potentially could transform the uncertainty and anger against the Sestati into a full insurrection that extended beyond Gavarik.

"_No!" _Aervanyn cried out furiously. "_No, we will not stand for it! Rise up! Down with the Sestati! Down with Davinathe!"_

"Sadarin?"

It was Rose. Sadarin quickly turned the sound off from Aervanyn's broadcast. "What news?" he asked. "Is there any progress on the encryption?"

"Aside from uncovering it?" Rose shook her head, but she looked optimistic. "We've found the mainframe that contains it, but so far are no nearer to breaking it. But that's not why I came here."

"What do you mean?"

"General Dalage sent me," Rose told him. "He's just received a message from Lord Scirithar. The enemy forces at Gergnus and the Brazim border have surrendered, and General Aeshaan has just sent a message to Scirithar, calling for an armistice. They're discussing the terms even as we speak."

Sadarin stared at Rose, trying to comprehend what she had just told him. Earlier they'd questioned what Aeshaan had hoped to gain by seizing control of Gavarik from the Sestati when Yaldego was so close to defeat anyway. Now everything made sense. Relief, glorious relief, filled every fiber of Sadarin's being. But yet, a nagging feeling crept in at the back of his mind, reminding him of the more pressing problem.

"Davinathe?" he asked.

"Still in Greyalden. It seems to still be under Davinathe's control," Rose said, shaking her head. "It isn't over yet." She shut her eyes for a moment, looking pained. But then she looked at Sadarin again. "Dalage has told us all to get ready to leave. He's already sent his forces to disarm Yaldego's forces and occupy Gavarik. If things go smoothly, we will be on a Halictid to Gavarik first thing tomorrow morning."

* * *

Things did go smoothly. By sunrise the next morning, Gavarik was under martial law but the Yaldegan military was under a full and strict ceasefire, as were the forces of Relash and Capharon, both of which had encircled the capitol city. The Yaldegans outside of Gavarik had laid down their arms, and the Sestati agents captured in the coup were handed over to the Relashians for eventual trial and probable execution. In the meantime, a small delegation of the Dreithegans' commanding officers, as well as Rose and Donna and Kabid Kaelis Dalbid, arrived in Gavarik.

When they disembarked from the Halictid in a Gavarik hangar, General Dalage and a couple of his lieutenants were already waiting for them, beside a tall, well-built Radalan in the gold armor of a Yaldegan officer, who was obviously disarmed but otherwise untouched. Rose didn't recognize him, but she thought she knew who it was. Sadarin confirmed it when he stepped in front of the Yaldegan, and stared at him.

"Lord Aeshaan," he cautiously greeted after a moment.

Aeshaan nodded. "I'm glad you've come, Commander Theletaos." He glanced at the exit. "Shall we get this over with?"

Sadarin nodded, and Dalage quickly steered the group from the hangar and through the exit, leading them to an office, where another Yaldegan officer waited for them, watched closely by a couple of Capharon soldiers.

Aeshaan took a seat at the desk beside the other Yaldegan, and beckoned for Sadarin and Dalage to sit as well; but they did not.

"I understand that General Dalage has already secured your signature ordering Yaldego's unconditional surrender," Sadarin told Aeshaan. "But that's not why you've brought me here, is it?"

Aeshaan shook his head. "The war is over," he said, "but the conflict is not. We have months in the future to negotiate the peace settlement, but right now the priority is the Etalih Innai device." Nobody said anything. Aeshaan then looked at Rose and Donna. "I imagine that the only reason you haven't already sent these two to get their friend from Davinathe's grasp is that you don't have enough information to safely enter that base."

"You are correct," Sadarin said stiffly. "How close is the weapon to completion?"

"Very close," Aeshaan replied. "I estimate that we only have a day or two before it is ready for launch, maybe even less. I don't know much of what has happened there in the past couple of days, but Davinathe has secured the Doctor's cooperation. He was only a short time away from completing the weapon when I last contacted him a few days ago."

"What do you mean, the Doctor's cooperating?" Donna gasped. "He'd never build that thing! Without me there, Davinathe no longer has leverage over the Doctor, so how can he be cooperating now?"

Aeshaan shook his head. "Ever since the Valdarans' threat, Davinathe has daily executed ordinary citizens in front of the Doctor, refusing to stop until the weapon is completed and fully functional. It's to his credit, but I don't think the Doctor can bear it. At best, he's hoping someone will intervene and stop Davinathe before they can launch the satellite."

Donna looked sick.

"That is why we are about to intervene," Aeshaan continued resolutely. "I refuse to sit by and let Davinathe try to use that thing when doing so will surely cost Cypnov its resources and its independence." Looking at Rose, he added, "I have worked with Davinathe for years. You need information to enter that base and get the Doctor out? I have all the information you need."

"A taskforce has already been assembled and is awaiting the command to head for Greyalden and put an end to this," Dalage told them. Looking at Rose, he added, "If you wish to accompany them in this expedition, I won't stop you. They will leave within half an hour."

Looking at Rose, Aeshaan added, "I am very sorry that you were dragged into this, Rose Tyler. You and your friends should never have been involved. It was very wrong of the Premier Warlord and Minister Davinathe to trap you here, and least I can do is help you to recover the Doctor."

Rose, who had closed her eyes in joy and relief, looked up at Aeshaan and nodded with a grateful smile.

"General Aeshaan," Donna said loudly, "when all this is over, I hope there's a non-toxic drink you've got that we can have together."

Rose snorted and rolled her eyes fondly. Aeshaan, amused, replied, "I'm sure that can be arranged, Miss Noble."

* * *

The weapon was completed. The Doctor sullenly declared it, and Davinathe had every scientist and technician analyze it, making sure it perfectly followed the Helial blueprint they'd found in their archives. There were no executions in Greyalden that day.

All that remained was to load the Etalih Innai satellite inside the rocket that would shortly be launched into orbit. Davinathe paced the control tower impatiently, waiting for the technicians and mechanics to declare the rocket ready for launch. Looking out at the silo below, Davinathe watched its doors open, offering a distant view of the activity inside. He then looked to the north, where he knew that the traitor Aeshaan undoubtedly was negotiating with Sadarin Theletaos and Lord Scirithar.

The door opened behind him, and he turned to watch as Colonel Sarjeth and another Sestati thug frogmarched the Doctor into the room. They then shoved the Doctor into a chair and proceeded to tie him up and gag him. That done, Sarjeth looked to his master, awaiting further orders, but Davinathe simply dismissed him with a gesture, and he and the other thug left.

As soon as the door closed, Davinathe looked back at the Doctor. Tilting his head, he scrutinized the Time Lord in amusement. The Doctor was very pale and far thinner than he had been even before his relocation to Greyalden, probably a consequence of sleep deprivation as well as hunger and strain. There were dark shadows under his eyes, and he leaned forward as far as the ropes binding him would allow, betraying a terrible weariness that the long days and nights working on a weapon he hated had brought upon him. But his eyes were alert, angry, and terrified.

"Today, we launch the gamma heat ray you have been so good as to complete for us," Davinathe told him with a cool smile. Smirking, he leaned forward and removed the gag from the helpless alien's mouth. "The war with Capharon now will be settled on my terms, and no one else's. Thanks to you, they will surrender tonight, or the cities of Izqavid and Genicapharon will burn, and their governments with them."

The Doctor swallowed. "You can still stop this," he pled in a hoarse voice.

Davinathe laughed derisively, and turned back to the controls.

"The way you've been pushing me," the Doctor continued quietly, "the urgency with which you've been building that thing…? You've kept me in the dark, made sure that I have no idea what's going on, but I do know this: the war isn't going well, if it's still going at all."

"Such an assertion is absurd," Davinathe replied, without looking at the Doctor.

"You're desperate," the Doctor argued. "But you can still stop this. Put an end to it. There's no need to destroy so many-"

But Davinathe turned around and backhanded the Doctor across the face with a resounding crack. "Don't preach to me, Time Lord," he snapped. "You would have been spared all this if you had just cooperated in the first place. Your attempt at delay was not successful, it resulted in the suffering and death of uninvolved civilians, and this war still will end on my terms anyway." Leaning forward angrily, he spat, "I will not let Yaldego fall into the hands of the cowards and traitors who are even now trying to take control in Gavarik."

"Please," the Doctor whispered. "You don't have to do this."

Davinathe gave him a contemptuous look, and stuffed the gag back inside the Doctor's mouth. "I will even raze Gavarik to the ground before giving in to anyone's demands, Aeshaan's, Scirithar's, or the Valdarans'," he hissed venomously, almost nose-to-nose with his captive. "There is nothing you can say that will stop me."

The Doctor could only give a muffled curse in response.

…

**There's only two chapters left after this. That's hard for me to believe. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. **


End file.
